24 DeadAlive
by MasonFox
Summary: A terrorist has planted enough C4 at famous American landmarks to level them all. Her demands are simple. The location of Jack Bauer.
1. Chapter 1

**24- OPERATION: REVENGE**

The following takes place between **12:00 am** and **1:00 am**. Events Occur in real time.

12:00

Joseph Burns looked at the phone and dreaded its ring. He waited and hoped that it wouldn't and that the whole thing would be called off. If it did ring he knew that he would answer it obediently. He had no choice. Right now he was willing to do anything for them, they had him right where they wanted him.

The cell came to life and Joseph picked it up, he held it in the sweaty palm of his hand for a few a seconds before he pushed the answer button. He swallowed hard and then he did it.

"CTU Burns." Joseph answered.

"It's me, the bombs have been set." A digitally altered voice said over the phone.

"What do you want me to do?" Burns asked.

"Shut down the tracer software. She is going to call CTU and if there is any possibility that she can be tracked; your family will be killed. If they suspect that it was you that disabled the software your family will be killed." The voice said.

"I…I don't think that I can do this." Burns said.

"It's simple Burns; if you don't do what I say when I say it your family dies." The voice said.

"Okay." Burns said.

The line went dead. Burns stood up and looked around the central room at the dozens of agents that were tapping away at their computers. The night had been pretty quiet but Burns predicted that it was going to get a hell of a lot busier.

Burns walked down a wing towards the computer room. When he glanced at his watch he knew that it would be five more seconds until he could exploit the camera's blind spot. He made sure he was alone before he entered and locked the door behind him. The computers were processing thousands of equations, creating white noise all around him. Burns approached the nearest terminal and began to type away at it. It didn't take long for him to sabotage the software that was famous for its ability to penetrate scrambled lines. He did this by deleting a few of the dll. Files within the folder.

Burns left quietly and nobody would know that he had ever been in there.

-----

The Director of the Counter-Terrorism Unit sat behind the desk, gazing down at the busy workers through the plain glass walls of the office. The phone on the clear desk rang.

"CTU Driscoll." Erin Driscoll said, she had only just begun her shift and it was going to be a long one.

"Listen to me carefully Erin..." A familiar voice said.

"Who is this?" Erin asked.

"Don't bother with the trace I've already disabled your tracking software." The female on the other end of the voice said. Erin had heard the voice before but couldn't put a name on it.

"What's this about?" Driscoll asked.

"I am the leader of a terrorist group who has planted enough C4 in twelve highly visited American tourist locations to bring them down with severe casualties. If you fail to do what I say I am more then willing to detonate every one of them." The voice said.

"Who is this?" Driscoll asked.

"For now we are going to keep this real quiet. Between you and I, I'm sure your itching to call division and you'll have your chance but it's important that we keep this simple for now." The voice said.

"I'm not doing anything until you tell me who I'm speaking to." Driscoll said.

"Do you still have a television in your office Erin, or did budgeting cut it?" The woman asked. Driscoll immediately focussed on the television set that sat directly across from her.

"Yes I do." Driscoll said.

"Turn it on. The channel you're looking for is CNN." The woman said. Driscoll obeyed, flicking the television on with her remote control.

A balding news-reader was standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, the bridge itself glowed orange with flames.

"Oh My God!" Driscoll said.

"If you hesitate again another site goes. I'll leave this up to you Driscoll." The woman said.

"Okay, okay! What do you want me to do?" Driscoll asked.

"As well as silence on your part I need you to set up a conference with two retired CTU Agents." The Woman said.

"Who?" Driscoll asked.

"Agent Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler." The woman said.

"I don't think that's possible…" Driscoll said.

"Make it possible Erin! You know what happens if it isn't!" The woman said. Erin hung up the phone.

--- -

Tony Almeida woke up before the phone rang as if he could sense that a call was coming through. He sat up in his bed and looked at Michelle. The bedside telephone hummed to life and he grabbed it before it woke his wife.

"Hello?" Tony asked.

"It's Erin Driscoll from CTU." Erin said.

"Erin, its midnight…" Tony said.

"I know. Tony I'm sorry but I'm going to need you to get to CTU as soon as you can." Erin said.

"You can't be serious; we're two hours away." Tony said.

"I'm more serious then you will ever know. A chopper is on the way it should be in there in ten minutes…" She said. "Tony…" She continued.

"Yeah?" Tony asked.

"I need you to bring Michelle as well." Erin said.

"Out of the question, Michelle stays here." Tony said.

"Believe me if I could allow that I would but this is a matter of national security!" Erin said.

"What is it?" Tony asked.

"I really can't tell you over the phone. You will be briefed personally by me when you get here." Erin said.

"You're tough to love Erin." Tony said.

"I'm sorry." Erin said. The line went dead. Tony dropped the phone back on the hook and looked down at his sleeping wife, he had to work up the courage to wake her.

--- -

Erin walked down the stairs and noticed how quickly everyone had gathered around the main monitor which was lit up with images of the Golden Gate bridge on fire. As she came down everyone turned to her as if she had all the answers.

"Listen up everybody! I know that a lot of you are shocked by what happened but we need to get organised if we are going to catch the culprits behind this…" Erin said, she instantly had everyone's attention. Two people in particular looked at her with knowing frowns, they had been through this before. She immediately addressed them.

"Edgar and Chloe I want you two to analyse all the terrorist threats made against the Golden Gate Bridge and cross reference them with presumed active terrorist cells. Burns and Gavin I need you two to scan the latest reports coming in from the other agencies, flag anything that relates to this attack. The rest of you know what to do." Erin said. She walked down the stairs towards the workstation that Edgar and Chloe occupied.

"What's going on Erin?" Chloe asked.

"What do you mean?" Erin asked.

"I mean terrorists attacks don't just happen without us at least knowing about it. Why weren't we informed of this situation?" Chloe said.

"Terrorist attacks DO just happen if the terrorists know what they are doing, and the reason that we don't have any information on this situation is because these terrorists were good at what they aim to do; cause terror." Erin said.

"It just doesn't make sense that…"

"Chloe, I don't need you to inform me of what doesn't make sense surrounding this situation I just need you to do my job. Report back to me when you get anything of value." Erin said.

"Edgar, I need you to come with me." Erin said. Edgar looked up, shocked that it had been him that was summoned as opposed to Chloe. He stood up and followed Erin looking back at Chloe who had a sour look upon her face.

Erin and Edgar walked across the room towards a quiet wing, Erin led him down the hall way.

"Ms. Driscoll, what is this about?" Edgar asked.

"Edgar, I just lied to Chloe…" Erin said.

"What?" Edgar asked.

"A few minutes ago I received a phone call from an anonymous woman claiming to have planted explosives at twelve national tourist locations around America, she wanted me to contact two retired agents and keep quiet about it or she would blow them up. I initially hesitated which is why the Golden Gate Bridge was destroyed." Erin said.

"My God." Edgar said.

"It was my mistake and I'll have to live with." Erin said.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Edgar asked.

"The woman on the other end of the phone, the way she talked, it was like she knew this place. She knew that I had a television in my office and she knew that we had state of the art anti-tracking software installed that she somehow corrupted so that the call couldn't be traced." Erin said.

"She corrupted our software? How the hell did she do that?" Edgar asked.

"I don't know but it's down. I checked it just a minute ago. What I need you to do is run a manual trace from a laptop the next time she rings but you need to do it so that she doesn't know the call is being traced or she might blow up another land mark." Erin said.

"I don't think I can do that. I think that's more Chloe's line of work." Edgar said.

"I know that she is more proficient then you in that area but Edgar, I don't trust her." Erin said.

"What? Why?" Edgar asked.

"We departed on sour terms last year. Put simply I just can't trust her Edgar. Do this for me and I promise it won't go unnoticed." Erin said. Edgar just stood there and looked down the room at Chloe who was busy tapping away at a computer. He couldn't help but feel that he was somehow betraying his friend by doing this, then his eyes returned to Erin Driscoll's and he knew that he had to do it, in her eyes she saw a scared agent, a woman who had last her daughter only a year ago.

"Okay. I'll do it." Edgar said. Erin smiled, but he could tell that she was just as scared as him.

--- -

Michelle walked out to the kitchen bench wrapped in a silk night gown. She sat down and Tony poured her a cup of coffee as if that would somehow make up for everything that they were about to go through.

"I don't understand Tony, I thought you said we would leave CTU?" Michelle asked.

"I don't know Michelle, all I know is that Driscoll has a chopper in the air right now and that from the way she talked, it sounded important." Tony said.

"Why do both of us have to go in?" She asked.

"I have no idea." Tony said. Suddenly the harsh beating of a chopper could be heard. Tony looked at Michelle and they shared a moment, something told Tony that this was going to be the beginning of a very long day.

--- -

Edgar had a laptop on Erin's desk, there were dozens of electric cables feeding out of it into other technical gadgets, all of them were hooked up to Erin Driscoll's office phone.

"Ms. Driscoll, I'm not sure that this will work. I'm guessing that whoever is behind these attacks has scrambling software of their own." Edgar said.

"You can only do your best Edgar." Erin said. Edgar nodded and began typing away the computer, setting up the phone call.

Erin's phone rang. She looked at Edgar and he looked back at her. Edgar nodded. Erin picked up the phone.

"CTU Driscoll." She said. The voice on the other on of the phone laughed.

"I'll never get tired of that. How is everything going Erin? Did you do what I asked?" The woman asked.

"Yes. Tony and Michelle are on their way." Erin said.

"Good. That wasn't hard was it?" The woman asked.

"I need to know what is going on here. Why do you want to speak with Tony and Michelle?" Erin asked.

"All good things to those who wait Ms. Driscoll. It's a pity we never got to meet each other you know, I think you and I would have been friends." The woman said.

"I'd never be friends with a terrorist." Erin said.

"You'd be surprised. I'm going to leave now before Edgar can trace the call. For that little episode you just lost The Washington Monument." The woman said. The phone line went dead. Edgar and Erin looked at each other and then immediately looked at the television set.

Another reporter, this time standing in front of the Washington Monument, or at least where it once stood, now there was only rubble.

"Just minutes after the Golden Gate Bridge was attack the Washington Monument also suffered similar destruction. The American Government is yet to comment on the series of explosions or whether or not they are terrorist related." The reporter said. Erin switched off the television.

--- -

Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler walked into CTU. Chloe looked up at them and then smiled unexpectedly, the married couple, as if a singular entity, smiled back. Chloe got up from her desk and jogged over to them. Michelle and Tony kept walking at a steady pace.

"What are you guys doing here?" Chloe asked.

"We don't know. Driscoll summoned us. She said it was important." Tony said.

"Did you hear about the attacks?" Chloe asked.

"Yeah, Erin couldn't have possibly called us in over that…" Michelle said.

"I don't know, maybe she needs people that she knows are stable…" Chloe said. Erin strolled down the stairs and looked at Tony and Michelle.

"Tony, Michelle. Will you join me in my office?" Erin asked and walked back into her office. Michelle and Tony walked slowly up the stairs and entered Driscoll's office as a wave of nostalgia rolled over them.

Inside the office Tony was surprised to see Edgar sitting at a laptop typing away and what sounded like a recorded phone conversation between Erin Driscoll and another woman.

"Ms. Driscoll, I tried scanning all the frequencies again but I couldn't triangulate the call. I'm sorry." Edgar said.

"Wait a minute, play that sound file back." Tony said. Edgar did so obediently.

"Do you know who that is?" Erin asked.

"Yes but it can't be her. It's impossible. " Tony said.

"Who is it Tony?" Michelle asked.

"It's Nina Myers…" Tony said.

12:59:57…58…59…1:00


	2. Chapter 2

The following takes place between **1:00 am** and **2:00 am**. Events occur in real time.

The room grew suddenly tense with Tony's revelation. Tony himself couldn't believe what he had just heard but there was no way that he forget that voice. The voice that he had heard so many times before, the voice that he had once fallen in love with.

"I thought Nina Myers was dead. According to the report; Jack shot her." Erin said.

"That's what I thought too but obviously she's still alive. Erin what are you doing to secure potential bomb targets?" Tony said.

"The military is in the process of securing tourist locations around America but there are too many of them, any one of them could be part of the twelve. Our forces are spread thin." Erin said.

"Okay." Tony said.

"What does Nina Myers want with you two?" Erin asked. Tony and Michelle looked at each other, Tony knew that there was only one answer to that question and couldn't believe that anybody apart from the three people that had partaken in the conspiracy had known about it, certainly not a presumed dead traitor like Nina Myers.

"I have no idea." Tony lied. He felt Michelle's hand grab his and he squeezed it back, as long as they were in this together they would be able to pull through.

Driscoll's phone rang. Tony and Erin looked at each other before she answered. This was it. Driscoll picked it up.

"CTU Driscoll." Erin said.

"Erin, I think you are getting the hang of it by now; I expect that you won't make anymore mistakes." Nina Myers said. Tony couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"I've got Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler in the room as well as Edgar Stiles." Erin said.

"Good, that was quicker then I thought you were capable of. I want you to send Edgar out of the room." Nina said.

"Why?" Erin asked.

"This doesn't concern him and it would probably be safer for him if he didn't know about it." Nina said.

Erin nodded towards Edgar who stood up and left the room as quickly as he could. He shut the door behind him.

"Edgar is gone." Erin said.

"Good, now I want to speak with Tony." Nina said.

"I'll put you on speaker." Erin said and pushed a button, she hung up the receiver.

"Tony are you there?" Nina asked.

"Yeah." Tony said.

"It's been a long time hasn't it Tony? What was the last thing I said to you?" Nina asked, considering it over in her mind. Tony on the other hand couldn't forget.

"Oh that's right; I said 'your neck's bleeding'." Nina said. "How is your neck by the way?" Nina asked.

"It's okay. What do you want Nina?" Tony asked.

"You aren't even curious as to how I'm still alive?" Nina asked.

"Sure I'm curious, but right now you have the capacity to kill thousands of innocent people so curiosity is just going to have to wait. My priority now is to bring you down." Tony said.

"You don't have to tell me about CTU priority Tony, I worked above you for a long time remember? I know that right now you and CTU are going to do everything in your power to find me but that's not going to happen, at least not until I get what I want." Nina said.

"What do you want Nina?" Tony asked.

"Last year you were involved in a conspiracy to fake Jack Bauer's death, you helped to organise his escape and you are the only one who knows where he is." Nina said.

"What the hell?" Erin asked, glaring at Tony. Tony could only look back at her with empty eyes.

"I don't know where he is." Tony said.

"You're lying Tony. Don't lie again or another tourist attraction is gone." Nina said.

"I swear to God I don't know!" Tony said.

Suddenly there was a gasp from the main room. The three looked down at the main screen to see the Hoover Dam in flames, water flooding out of it.

"You crazy bitch!" Tony swore.

"Tony, my demands are simple, I want the location of Jack Bauer, that's all." Nina said. Tony looked at Michelle, searching for an answer in the deepness of her eyes. Finding one.

"I can give you the location of Jack Bauer, just don't blow up another site." Tony said.

"Good." Nina said.

"Jack is staying in Mexico on a ranch just four hours to the north of Mexico City." Tony said.

"You've done well Tony. I'll call you back soon with further instructions." Nina said.

"Wait I thought you said that that was all I had to do?" Tony said.

"It is Tony, I'm done with you. The next task is for Michelle, you didn't think I dragged you both down here just so you could be together did you?" Nina asked and the phone went dead.

"Jack Bauer is still alive?" Erin asked.

"Yes. Last year the Chinese government wanted to take custody of Jack because he led a strike force on Chinese territory, we had to fake his death so he wouldn't be killed by secret service." Tony said.

"Why the hell wasn't I informed of this?" Erin asked.

"Nobody was. Only four people knew; Jack, Michelle, Chloe and I." Tony said.

"This is unacceptable." Erin said.

"Erin right now we don't have time for feeling left out. We need to do everything that we can to stop Nina Myers before she gets to Jack Bauer!" Tony said.

"What would you have me do?" Erin said.

"Send a CTU task force to that location to protect Jack." Tony said.

"And admit to the government that he is still alive? That you went behind the President's back? That's treason Tony, you've been charged of that before. I'm guessing that next time the judge won't be so lenient!" Erin said.

"I don't care. We need to protect Jack." Tony said. Tony stared Erin down, they were already beginning to argue.

--- -

Edgar was typing away at his work station, busily cross referencing endless amounts of data even though he knew that it was useless. He felt like he should have been doing more to stop Nina Myers.

Chloe approached him.

"What was that all about?" Chloe asked

"What?" Edgar played dumb.

"Don't try that on me Edgar, I know that Erin let you in on something that she didn't tell the rest of us." Chloe said.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Edgar replied.

"Damn it Edgar! I thought we promised that we wouldn't hide anything from each other." Chloe said.

"We did, but we also agreed that we would keep our home lives separate from our professional lives. Go away Chloe!" Edgar said and tried to ignore her. Chloe looked at Edgar and saw that there was no way that he was ever going to budge.

--- -

"You need to set up the tracing software so that we can track her next call!" Tony said.

"That's not a possibility, she disabled our software." Erin said.

"What? How could she do that off site?" Tony asked.

"She couldn't, something like that could only have been done internally." Michelle said.

"What does that mean?" Erin asked. They were all silent.

"It means there is a mole inside CTU." Michelle said.

The phone rang. Erin picked it up.

"CTU Driscoll." Erin said.

"Put me on speaker. Make sure that Michelle is in the room." Nina said. Erin did pushed the speaker button and hung up the head set.

"Can you hear me Michelle?" Nina asked.

"I'm here." Michelle replied pulling away from Tony's grasp to get closer to the microphone.

"I read about what happened last year how you sacrificed your husband to catch an assassin." Nina said.

"I…" Michelle said.

"Deliciously cold of you Michelle, that's why you've been selected for the next task." Nina said.

"What do you want from me?" Michelle asked.

"You're going to organise a meeting with Jack Bauer, tell him that it's urgent, concerning his daughter Kim, and then you are going to kill him." Nina said.

"I will do no such thing!" Michelle said.

"I've got nine other tourist locations that disagree with you Michelle!" Nina said.

"Oh my God" Michelle whispered, preying that Nina wouldn't hear her.

"It's alright Michelle, if you just do what I say when I say it, everything is going to be okay." Nina said.

"This is bullshit Nina! Let me do it! I'll kill Jack!" Tony yelled.

"Settle down Tony, you and Jack have history and personally I don't think that you can do it. Michelle on the other hand, she's cold blooded." Nina said.

"I'll do it, don't put Michelle in this position!" Tony said.

"Shut up Tony." Nina said. Tony held Michelle, trying unsuccessfully to comfort her.

"Michelle, you're going to have to prove to me that you are capable of doing this. I need to know that you are as cold blooded as I believe you are." Nina said. There was silence.

"What do you want me to do?" Michelle asked.

"The other member of the conspiracy, the computer gal, where is she?" Nina asked.

"Chloe is downstairs cross-referencing data." Erin said.

"Chloe! That's her name. Erin I want you to summon her to this office, darken the room." Nina said.

"Why?" Erin asked.

"So that Michelle can kill her." Nina said.

1:59:57…58…59…2:00


	3. Chapter 3

**The following takes place between _2:00 am_ and _3:00 am_. Events occur in real time.**

Joseph Burns sat behind his desk typing away, he couldn't stop sweating. Two retired agents that he knew only through gossip had come in and were now in Driscoll's office. The woman that he had spoken to on the phone, the one that had his family had already contacted the director of CTU; Erin Driscoll. Burns's cell phone rang.

"This is Burns." He said.

"Hello Joseph, Yelena needs you to do something for her." The digitally altered voice said on the other line.

"When are you going to let my family go?" Burns asked.

"When the mission is complete." The voice said.

"What do you want me to do?" Burns asked.

"I need you to patch into the security cameras at CTU and send the live feed to the email address given to you. You have ten seconds." The voice said and the line went dead.

Burns typed away at the computer, he knew exactly what to do.

--- -

Tony looked at Michelle, he wished that he could take all of this away from her. He wished that he had killed Nina all those years ago when he had had the chance.

"You want me to kill Chloe?" Michelle asked.

"Yes. I know that you folks over there at CTU are quite resourceful, that is why I have tapped into the live security feed that covers every inch of the Los Angeles HQ. Don't try anything funny or I will know." Nina said.

"You're bluffing!" Erin said.

"No I'm not Erin." Nina said.

"Is this really necessary? Why do two people need to die Nina?" Tony asked.

"You probably have CTU dispatch squads converging on Jack's location as we speak, there is no way that I could get in there undetected, Michelle on the other hand could waltz back in there and put a bullet in Jack's head before they apprehend her, Chloe needs to die so that I know Michelle is capable of this mission." Nina said.

"I will do what you want, I promise you that Nina." Michelle said.

"Not good enough, get Chloe in here now or another site is destroyed. I am watching you all right now, if I even suspect that you are screwing with me I will detonate every single bomb under my control." The line went dead. Tony looked at Erin.

"Where are we on evacuating potential bomb sites?" Tony asked. Erin looked down at her computer and brought up the status report from the military.

"Forty percent complete, there are just too many potential locations." Erin said.

"So we're going to have to comply with Nina's demands?" Tony asked.

"For the time being, yes." Erin said.

"What about Jack?" Tony asked.

"Willmore is leading up the squad to secure the ranch." Erin said.

"Willmore?" Tony asked.

"He's new but I think he's capable. Curtis is second in charge." Erin said.

"Good, I trust him." Tony said.

"What should we do about Chloe?" Erin asked.

"We have no choice, get her up here." Tony said.

"What? You can't be serious!" Michelle said.

"We don't have a choice Michelle." Tony said. Erin looked at Tony and then reached down for her phone, she punched in Chloe's extension.

---- -

Chloe sat behind her desk, the phone rang.

"Yeah?" Chloe asked, ignoring protocol by not giving the proper greeting.

"Chloe, I need to see you up here for a second." Erin said, trying not to create any sense of panic.

"What's this about?" Chloe asked.

"I'll tell you when you get up here." Erin said.

"I'm really busy Erin!" Chloe said.

"I assure you, this takes priority." Erin said. Chloe sighed and hung up the phone. She stood up and walked towards Driscoll's office. Edgar looked up at her.

"Where are you going?" Edgar asked.

"Erin wants to see me." Chloe said.

"What? Why?" Edgar asked.

"I don't know it sounds important." Chloe said. Edgar looked worried, there was no way that Erin had suddenly changed her mind about Chloe. Something was wrong, she would have requested Edgar if she need technical help but right now she was summoning Chloe. Edgar's paranoia led him to stopping Chloe.

"Wait Chloe!" Edgar said.

"What?" Chloe asked annoyed.

"Can you come with me for a second I need to talk with you." Edgar said.

"I'm sorry Edgar, I need to see Driscoll." Chloe said.

"It will only take a second." Edgar said, he stood and grabbed her by the elbow leading her down the corridor.

Edgar let her go when they were away from the eyes of the Director's office. He looked behind him to make sure that no one had followed them.

"What is it Edgar?" Chloe asked.

"Today Erin got a call from Nina Myers…" Edgar said.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"She is the one that is behind these attacks. She's blackmailing Erin who has no choice but to give into her demands." Edgar said.

"Is this some kind of a joke?" Chloe asked.

"Do I look like I'm joking Chloe?" Edgar asked.

"No…Yes…I don't know." Chloe said.

"I don't know what she wants but she told me earlier that she doesn't trust you after what happened between you two last year. There is no way that she would summon you up there for technical help." Edgar said.

"Why is she summoning me up there then?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know but I don't think it's safe." Edgar said. Chloe smiled and hugged Edgar, she kissed him on the forehead.

"I know that you love me Edgar, and I know that you want to protect me but what did our therapist say? You need to stop being paranoid. I'm going to be fine." Chloe said.

"I…" Edgar said.

"It's all right Edgar, I'm going to see Erin and I'll be right back." Chloe said, she kissed Edgar once more and then turned to leave him.

Edgar could only watch as the woman he loved walked away from him.

---- -

Michelle looked at Erin and down at the metallic object that she held in her hands. It was a suppressed pistol, it wouldn't make a noise when she pulled the trigger.

"I'm not going to do it." Michelle said.

"We don't have a choice; it's either Chloe or thousands of innocent people." Erin said.

"I can't believe this is happening." Michelle said. Tony put his hands on her shoulders and rubbed them.

"I'm so sorry baby." He said. Michelle began to cry, she reached out and grabbed the gun from Erin's hands. She looked at it and pulled the clip out. It was packed with tiny bullets, one of them which would be meeting Chloe shortly. Michelle slammed the clip back into the gun and cocked it. There was a knock at the office door.

"Come in Chloe." Erin said. The door clicked and Chloe entered the room. Michelle held the gun behind her back.

Chloe entered the room and saw that Michelle was crying. She immediately wanted to know what was going on.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Michelle's eyes searched the ground, not willing to look at the woman she was about to kill.

"I'm so sorry Chloe." Michelle said. Tony looked away.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

"God forgive me." Michelle said, she pulled out the gun and held it at Chloe.

Chloe's eyes widened, she dropped down and pulled a weapon from her ankle, she held it out at Michelle. Two women standing with their guns pointed at each other, Tony and Erin stood frozen, a simple movement could provoke a negative reaction.

"What the hell is going on here?" Chloe asked. Tony moved slowly towards Chloe.

"Don't come any closer Tony. I want to know what is going on!" Chloe said.

"It's the terrorist. She says that if we don't do what she says she will blow up another site. We can't let that happen." Erin said.

"What's that got to do with me?" Chloe asked.

"She wanted Michelle to kill you. That was one of her demands." Tony said.

The phone hummed, Erin picked it up and put it to her ear.

"Driscoll." Erin said.

"Solve this problem Erin! Solve it now!" Nina said.

"What do you want me to do?" Erin asked.

"In your desk drawer is a can of mace. Use it on Chloe so that Michelle can shoot her." Nina said.

"I…" Erin said.

"There is no time Erin!" Nina said. The line went dead. Erin looked at Chloe for a second and knew what had to be done.

Erin opened the top drawer and pulled out the can of mace, she flipped the lid off and held it in front of her. Chloe was too quick, she spun towards Erin and let off a round.

The bullet made their ears ring. Erin took it to her left lung and fell down crumpled behind her desk. Chloe moved the gun back onto Michelle.

"Jesus Christ!" Tony yelled. Michelle didn't take her eyes off of Chloe. There was a solid silence between them.

"Okay everybody just calm down!" Tony said. The phone on the desk hummed. Tony reached over and pressed the speaker button.

"Hello?" Tony asked.

"What the hell is going on in there? I thought you were supposed to be professionals!" Nina yelled, her voice filling the room.

"It's going to hell! Your plan isn't working Nina!" Tony said.

"Is Erin Driscoll still alive?" Nina asked. Tony moved behind the desk and kneeled down, his fingers finding Erin's pulse, it was slow but steady.

"Yes." Tony said.

"Michelle, you now have a choice. Someone in that room is going to have to die by your hands; Chloe or Erin, one of them is going to have to die if you want thousands of innocent people to live. It's up to you!" Nina said.

"I…" Michelle said, her eyes not leaving Chloe.

"Make a decision Michelle! Make your decision or another site is gone!" Nina said. Michelle considered, she had no idea what to do, she finally moved behind the bench and took her aim from Chloe to Erin Driscoll, who looked up at her with cloudy eyes. She was breathing quickly, a bullet deep in her lung.

"I'm sorry Erin!" Michelle said. She fired. The round hitting Erin right between the eyes. Michelle dropped the gun and collapsed into Tony's arms. Chloe lowered her gun, eventually dropping it on the ground. She leaned against the door. Tony hugged Michelle.

"It's okay baby!" Tony said. He hugged her tight then he flashed a glance at Chloe.

"Get a medic in here now!" Tony said. Chloe nodded and ran over to the phone she picked it up and dialled in the number for the clinic. Tony and Michelle stayed in each others arms whilst she made the phone call.

--- -

CLINTON RANCH, MEXICO.

The helicopter touched down just outside the small wooden house in the Mexican desert. Craig Willmore the leader of CTU Team 3 slid the door of the helicopter open and jumped out, he cleared the area from where he stood and ordered his team to head over towards the small house.

The team did so effortlessly, the place itself was as silent as any deserted ranch, there was not a single cow or horse to be seen. The wind picked up and brought sand down onto the location. Willmore wondered if this was a serious mission

The team came to the entrance of the small house and stopped just in front of it. Willmore took point, standing just in front of the door.

"I'm going to breach the door, Curtis I want you to clear it." Willmore said. Curtis nodded.

Willmore pulled out a lock pick and began to get to work on the door, the lock was picked easily and soon the door stood open. Willmore looked at Curtis and nodded.

Curtis stepped forward and kicked the door in, it flew open and the team moved into the house.

"CTU!" Willmore yelled as he breached the house, the other team members ran through the house, clearing each room.

Curtis came to a long hallway, there was a door at the end of it, he slowly made his way down the hall as members of the team cleared other rooms behind him.

Eventually he came to the room at the end of the hall. The way the house was structured told him that this was the bedroom. It was also the only room that hadn't been cleared. Curtis kicked the door in, he ran into the room and saw a queen sized bed with someone sleeping in it. It had to be Bauer.

Curtis walked over towards the bed, his gun aimed at it. He crept slowly towards the sleeping person and put his hand down on the blanket. He pulled the blanket off to reveal four carefully placed pillows. The door behind him closed. Curtis turned around in time to cop a blow to the head.

He fell backward onto the bed and was about to pass out when someone grabbed him and shook him awake.

"Curtis! What the hell are you doing here?" Jack Bauer said.

2:59:57…58…59…3:00


	4. Chapter 4

Authors Note: I have added a 'Previously on 24' section to refresh viewer's minds as to what is going on in the ff. I have a bad feeling that it is going to subtract from the pace and suspense, if this is the case; just give me a friendly reminder in the form of a review.

-Mason Fox.

PREVIOUSLY ON '24'

"Make a decision Michelle! Make your decision or another site is gone!" Nina said.

"I'm sorry Erin!" Michelle said. She fired. The round hitting Erin right between the eyes.

--- -

Curtis walked over towards the bed, his gun aimed at it. He pulled the blanket off to reveal four carefully placed pillows. Curtis turned around in time to cop a blow to the head.

"Curtis! What the hell are you doing here?" Jack Bauer said.

**The following takes place between _3:00 am_ and _4:00 am_. Events occur in real time.**

Curtis couldn't believe who he was looking at, a man whom he had worked with during one of the most intense moments of his life, a man who he had mourned at his funeral; Jack Bauer.

"Curtis! Why are you here?" Jack asked, demanding Curtis back to attention.

"I…I can't believe you are still alive." Curtis said.

"Believe it! Now what are you doing here?" Jack asked.

"We were sent here on a defence mission." Curtis said.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Erin Driscoll told us to guard this location." Curtis said.

"That means that she knows I'm still alive. Something is wrong at CTU, you need to take me back there right now." Jack said. Willmore stepped into the room.

"I'm afraid that's not an option Jack." Willmore said.

"Who are you?" Jack asked.

"Special Agent Craig Willmore, I'm leading this mission." Willmore said.

" I'd say it was a pleasure to meet you if it wasn't three am, Willmore. Why can't I go back to CTU?" Jack asked.

"Specific orders from Driscoll, we are to keep you here and secure the area." Willmore said. Jack looked at Curtis.

"He's right Jack. Our orders were to keep you here." Curtis said.

"Can I borrow your phone?" Jack asked.

"Why?" Willmore asked.

"I need to ring Erin Driscoll." Jack said. Willmore glared at Jack.

--- -

Tony and Michelle were still hugging each other. The medic tapped at the door. Tony pulled away from his wife and opened it.

"Did you call a medic?" The medic asked. Tony nodded.

"Erin Driscoll was shot." Tony said calmly. The medic was shocked. She moved over towards the body and knelt down to check its pulse. Erin Driscoll was dead.

"She's dead." The Medic said. Michelle gasped.

"Get her out of here." Tony said, looking at Erin. The medic nodded and talked into her radio, requesting another medic. Then she left to get a body bag and stretcher.

Erin Driscoll's phone rang. Tony looked at it, memories of acting as Director of CTU flooded through his mind; he had answered that phone so many times in the past and had thought that he was never going to answer it again. Tony looked at Michelle as if he needed to ask her for permission to pick it up. Michelle could only nod. Tony picked it up.

"Almeida." Tony said.

"Tony? What are you doing at CTU?" Jack asked.

"Jack, are you okay?" Tony asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. What the hell is going on here Tony, a CTU raid team just busted into my house." Jack said.

"Jack…" He said and suddenly realised that he was going to have to break the horrible news to him.

"...it's Nina Myers. She's still alive." Tony said. There was only silence on the other end of the phone.

"What?" Jack asked.

"She's rigged twelve tourist hot spots around America with C-4 and is threatening to blow them up if we don't meet her demands." Tony said.

"I'm coming in to CTU." Jack said.

"I don't think that is a good idea." Tony said.

"I've worked with Nina Myers before, I'm the only one that knows how she thinks I thought you of all people would understand that Tony." Jack said.

"Jack, you can't come in because Nina Myers has only one objective; she wants you dead and she will do anything to carry out her mission. Even if it means getting someone else to kill you." Tony said.

"What?" Jack asked.

"She knows that it would be impossible to do it herself so she assigned the task to Michelle, we need to keep you two as far apart from each other as possible. Michelle may not have a choice but to try and kill you Jack." Tony said.

"This whole thing is about personal revenge?" Jack asked.

"I guess so." Tony said.

"You need to secure Kim and Chase. Get agents over to their house now!" Jack said.

"Already done Jack, we are handling things here. You just need to sit tight and wait until we apprehend her." Tony said.

"I know Nina, it's not going to be that easy." Jack said.

"Maybe, but we are doing everything in our power to bring her down… Jack, you shot her four times, she should be dead." Tony said.

"I know, it doesn't make sense to me either, but as of right now we need to assume that Nina Myers is very much alive." Jack said.

"There's something else Jack…" Tony said.

"What?" Jack asked.

"Michelle killed Erin Driscoll. Nina wanted her to prove that she was capable of killing you." Tony said.

"Damn it!" Jack said, there was silence on the phone line.

"Tell Michelle that there is no way that she is going down for this. I will take the blame if I have to, she did this under duress." Jack said. Tony nodded.

"Jack, be careful." Tony said.

"You too Tony" Jack said and the line went dead.

Tony hung up the phone and turned to Chloe and Michelle who stood awkwardly in the room waiting for the other medic to arrive.

"What do we do now?" Chloe asked.

"We need to call division. They are going to want to assign responsibility for Erin's death." Tony said.

"I'll take the blame don't worry about that." Chloe said.

"No Chloe, we need you to work on finding Nina, you are the only one capable of doing it competently." Michelle said.

"What are you saying Michelle?" Tony asked.

"I will confess to the murder of Erin." Michelle said.

"No." Tony said.

"Tony, it's the only thing that makes sense. I'm not needed on the field and I can't kill Jack if I'm behind bars. You know it's the logical thing to do." Michelle said.

"Who says that Nina won't just get me to kill Jack? It's not going to happen Michelle." Tony said.

"It would buy time Tony, time that we need." Michelle said.

"I'm not losing you Michelle!" Tony said.

"You won't be losing me, I'll be safer in custody then I am in here anyway and I won't be able to kill Jack." Michelle said.

"I'll take full responsibility when this crisis is over, Tony." Chloe said. Tony looked at Michelle, he wondered if she was really willing to go through with this.

"I'll call division." Tony said. Tony reached over and picked up Erin's phone, he hit the speed dial button that would connect him to Division, he couldn't take his eyes off his wife.

The phone only rang twice before someone answered. Tony remembered the voice.

"Buchanan." Bill Buchanan said on the other line, he had been promoted to high up in Division after the last crisis.

"Bill it's Tony Almeida here. I'm calling from CTU." Tony said.

"Tony? What are you doing back there, I thought you retired." Bill asked.

"So did I. Listen Bill, something happened just now." Tony said. He knew that this whole lie was going to be tough to sell, to Bill as well as to himself.

"What is it Tony?" Bill asked.

"It's Michelle…" Tony said, he couldn't find the words.

"Is she in some kind of trouble?" Bill asked.

"She killed Erin Driscoll." Tony said.

"What?" Bill asked, he probably couldn't believe that Michelle was capable of such a thing, Tony couldn't either.

"We were summoned to CTU by Erin for some kind of paperwork and when we met her Michelle shot her twice." Tony said. The words sounded disturbingly convincing coming out of his mouth.

"I don't believe it." Bill said.

"Neither do I. I don't know what happened…" Tony trailed off.

"My God Tony…" Bill said.

"What do you want me to do? CTU is operating without a Director and this thing is evolving into another crisis!" Tony said.

"I'll send a replacement over shortly, as well as some men to apprehend Michelle. Tony you need to act as Director for a short while and you also need to contain Michelle." Bill said.

"I understand…" Tony said.

"Don't worry Tony, we will get to the bottom of it and Michelle's outstanding record as a CTU agent will be taken into account." Bill said. Tony was silent.

He hung up the phone and looked at Michelle.

"I need to escort you to a holding room Michelle." Tony said. Tony moved up to his wife and kissed her on the forehead. Chloe left the room.

--- -

Burns sat typing on the computer, dreading the ring tone of his mobile phone. It came to life again. Burns answered it.

"Burns." Burns said.

"Yelena wants an update on the situation." The electronic voice said.

Just as the voice stopped, Tony Almeida walked down the stairs with Michelle who was handcuffed. He led her towards the holding room.

"They have arrested Michelle Dessler, I think Tony is working with CTU again." Burns said. Just as he did, two medics raced up the stairs.

"Two medics just went into Driscoll's office." Burns said.

--- -

Tony locked the door behind him, he looked through the one way glass at Michelle who sat patiently in the small holding room. He couldn't believe that he was doing this to the woman he loved. He swallowed hard and then turned around, he needed to dedicate all of his energy to CTU; to finding Nina Myers before she killed Jack Bauer.

Tony walked to the top of the stairs and turned to face the crowd of people.

"Okay listen up people!" Tony shouted. Everyone turned and faced Tony Almeida.

"Erin Driscoll has just been shot by Michelle Dessler. She's dead. I'm taking over CTU until further notice, you're all doing great jobs so far so let's just keep up the good work okay?" Tony said. There was silence among the staff.

"If there are any questions or problems feel free to come to me in my office. That is all." Tony said, he turned and disappeared into the office.

Burns finished telling informing the electronic voice all that Tony had just said and then the line went dead.

--- -

Tony entered the Director's office and saw that the body of Erin Driscoll was gone, a cleaner was now making sure that the blood was wiped clean, in a few minutes it would be as if nothing had ever happened in the office. Tony wondered if anyone else had died in it.

"Won't be a minute sir, this place will be as good as new in no time." The Cleaner said, he was oddly optimistic considering the nature of his current task.

"Thank you." Tony said. Tony sighed just as the telephone rang, he picked it up.

"CTU Almeida." Tony said.

"What's going on Tony! I thought I told you not to screw with me." Nina said.

"Nina…" Tony said.

"Why did you just arrest Michelle Dessler? It's going to be hard for her to kill Jack if she is behind bars." Nina said.

"I had to; if we didn't follow procedure they would have suspected something." Tony said.

"You should have implicated Chloe; it was her that shot Erin after all." Nina said.

"I…" Tony said.

"You messed up Tony and that means that I'm going to have to initiate my contingency plan." Nina said.

"Contingency plan?" Tony asked.

"This conversation is over!" Nina said. The line went dead. Tony could only stare at the wall wondering just what exactly Nina's contingency plan was.

The phone rang again, Tony didn't have time to think, he picked it up.

"Yeah?" Tony asked.

"It's Chloe." Chloe said.

"What is it?" Tony asked.

"I was just going over the hourly with Edgar and I came across something." Chloe said.

"What?" Tony asked.

"It's probably just a coincidence but five men have been reported missing over the past four hours." Chloe said.

"People go missing all the time Chloe." Tony said.

"These five were all highly paid computer security technicians at corporations around that world." Chloe said.

"They are probably all seeing their mistresses or something." Tony said.

"Tony, they also all worked together to provide state of the art security software for America's nuclear arsenal. They created the firewall that stops hackers from taking possession of our nuclear warheads. These guys are the crème de la crème of the computer industry." Chloe said.

"What does that mean?" Tony asked.

"I don't know, but I've got a bad feel about it. I think their disappearance is connected with Nina Myers." Chloe said.

"Thanks Chloe. Report to me if you find anything else." Tony said. He hung up the phone.

--- -

Jack Bauer sat across from Curtis Manning and Craig Willmore, they all sipped from steaming mugs of coffee.

"So only four other people know about it?" Curtis asked.

"Yeah." Jack said.

"What about Audrey Raines? Does she know that you are still alive?" Curtis asked.

"No." Jack said. He looked away, ever since he had left America he couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Weren't you two going out?" Willmore asked.

"Yeah…not really. She broke it off after her husband died. I thought it would be better for her if she thought that I was dead as well." Jack said.

"That must be tough…" Willmore said.

"It was. It still is. Tell me about Nina Myers." Jack said.

"You probably know more about the crisis then we do. We were told only to defend this position until further notice." Curtis said.

An explosion ripped through the air as the door to the kitchen collapsed. Darkly masked men stormed the room with AK-47's and fired at Willmore and Curtis, making sure not to hit Jack Bauer, the man they had studied for hours.

Curtis pulled out his gun but was too slow he copped a bulled to the chest, falling down hard. Willmore managed to take one of the tangos out but then copped a burst of fire to the face, he fell down dead before he hit the floor.

The men all surrounded Jack Bauer who was unarmed and had his hands in the air; he had clearly been in a situation like this before.

"Clear!" One of the men shouted, Jack could detect a hint of German in his accent.

An older man walked in with greying hair. There was a huge scar that ran across his face and there was hot white hate in his eyes. He approached Jack.

"Who are you?" Jack asked.

"I ask the questions here!" The older man said, he socked Jack hard in the stomach. Jack had never been hit so hard in his life, the man had a lot of strength. Jack's knees buckled.

"And for the record Bauer; I am one of the last faces you are going to see before you die." The older man kicked Bauer hard in the face. Before Jack passed out he heard the older man speak some words in German and the masked men had Jack by the shoulders; dragging him outside into the cold morning air of the desert.

3:59:57…58…59…4:00:00


	5. Chapter 5

Authors Note:

Hey, have not updated this for quite a while. However I think that there is some promise here so I am continuing. Hope you all enjoy.

**The following takes place between _4:00 am and 5:00 am_. Events occur in real time.**

Kimberly slept but Chase stirred restlessly next to her. He couldn't exactly describe what was wrong, only that something was. There had been noises throughout the night. They were disturbing enough to make him get up several times to check on his daughter and they were disturbing enough to distract him from sleep.

There was always the possibility that he was over-reacting, with each day he grew more and more attached to Kimberly and the thought that something might happen to her made him ill.

The sound of a glass smashing came from downstairs. Chase jumped from the bed and walked immediately over towards the chest of drawers. He opened the top one and pulled out his SigSauer. He held it down to his side and left the room.

The large country house was dark. He had lived there long enough to be able to navigate his way through it in the night. The noise had come from the dining room and as he made his way down the stairs he held the gun out aimed in front of him. The feel of his finger on the trigger was too familiar.

He came to the lounge room and backed up against the wall. He heard the soft, silent footsteps of a small hit-team entering his house. From their relative silence he could tell they were professionals. The house was completely dark so they were probably using night vision. If he turned on the light they would be blinded.

Chase reached for the light switch and flipped it. He heard a grunt from within the lounge room as light filled it. Chase peeked around the corner. There were three of them. He was outnumbered. He had a good three more seconds before they recovered. If he could take two of them out he could interrogate the third. There was a click behind him.

"Chase Edmunds?" The man behind him asked. Chase spun around and held the gun on him.

"Who the hell are you?" Chase asked.

"I'm CTU Agent Michael Drosnin, we were ordered to protect you and your family by Erin Driscoll of CTU Los Angeles." Michael Drosnin said.

"What? Why?" Chase demanded. He didn't let the gun falter.

"Something to do with a terrorist threat, I'm guessing it's very serious. We wouldn't be breaking into your house at four in the morning if it wasn't." Michael Drosnin said.

Kimberly came down the stairs.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked. Chase looked up at her. He had the feeling it was going to be a long day.

--- -

Tony dreaded the phone in the Director's office. When it rang, a shiver went down his spine.

"Yeah?" Tony asked.

"In a few moments you are going to be replaced by somebody else. If you tell them anything about me or Jack Bauer I will detonate the remaining C-4. You are to do everything in your power to keep this a secret or thousands will die Tony. Do I make myself clear?" Nina Myers asked.

"Yes." Tony said.

"Good." Nina said. The line went dead.

There were a million thoughts flowing through his head and he was finding it hard to deal with them all. Years ago such a thing had come so much easier.

The phone hummed on his desk. Tony picked it up.

"CTU; Almeida." Tony said.

"Tony, your replacement is here." Edgar said on the other line.

"I'll be right down." Tony said. He hung up the phone and stood up. He wondered who was going to replace him. Part of him was worried that he would lose the power he would need to ensure Michelle's safety but the other part was relieved that he wouldn't have to deal with the problems of the day.

Tony jogged down the steps to the ground floor, when he reached the bottom an entourage of Division suits could be seen entering the complex. In the middle was a woman wearing a business suit and make-up that was barely noticeable. She stood out from the rest of the group in her navy blue outfit. Tony immediately recognised her.

They finally met each other and Tony outstretched his hand. The woman took it.

"Hello Tony. It's been a long time." She said.

"Alberta Green, I thought you wouldn't step foot in CTU again." Tony said.

"That's a bit of a hyperbole don't you think?" Alberta said. She looked at the suits and nodded they turned and left her. Alberta and Tony headed up to the office.

"Have you been briefed on the situation?" Tony asked.

"Yes. Bill brought me up to speed. I can't believe that Michelle Dessler would do something like that." Alberta said.

"Believe it." Tony said.

"Tony, I'm not going to ignore the fact that you have been the director of CTU in the past and that you know what it takes to run this place. That is why I'm requesting that you stay to help me in the decision making process. My only hope is that you decide to stay on." Alberta said.

"I'm not leaving CTU until this situation is resolved." Tony said.

"Good. I want you to personally oversee my first order of business." Alberta said.

"What business is that?" Tony asked.

"The interrogation of Michelle Dessler." Alberta said. Tony stopped dead in his tracks.

--- -

Jack Bauer woke up on the floor of an army carrier jet. His hands were cuffed behind his back. He looked around him and analysed his surroundings. There were five armed men including their leader. He was dressed in a General's uniform. A huge gnarly scar ran across his face.

The jet was German military issue but it was an older model. Jack doubted that this was a German military mission. The man in charge looked like he had retired years ago.

Jack also realised by the sounds coming from the jet that they were in the air.

The old man saw that Jack was awake and walked over towards him. He picked him up and got him to his feet. Jack stumbled backwards and rested against the wall of the plane.

"The prodigal son awakes." The retired General said.

"Who are you?" Jack asked.

"Since I know that you are Jack Bauer I think it is only fair that you know my name. I am General Rosenbaum." The General said in a thick German accent.

"Why did you kidnap me? What the hell is going on here?" Jack asked.

General Rosenbaum socked him hard in the stomach. Jack fell to his feet.

"No more questions Bauer." Rosenbaum said. Rosenbaum walked away.

Jack dropped to the floor, his eyes saw it; a paper clip. He positioned himself over it and grabbed it with his cuffed hands. He could only pray to God that Rosenbaum didn't notice.

"She sent you didn't she; Nina Meyers?" Jack said. Rosenbaum paused mid-step and turned to Jack.

"She said that you would refer to her by that name even though it is not her own." Rosenbaum said.

"Where are we going?" Jack asked.

"That is all Jack." Rosenbaum said.

"You know her real name. You know her…" Jack said.

"Of course I do. She's my daughter." Rosenbaum said.

--- -

Alberta Green and Tony Almeida walked next to each other towards the hostage interrogation room.

"Tony I understand if you don't want to accompany me. Michelle is your wife after all." Alberta said.

"I'm coming with you." Tony said. Alberta nodded and opened the door. They went inside the interrogation room.

Michelle Dessler sat at the cold steel table and her eyes met her husbands as he entered.

"Alright Michelle, you are a former CTU agent and you know what goes on in this situation. So I'm going to cut right to the chase." Alberta said. "Why did you kill Erin Driscoll?" She asked.

"I'm not saying anything." Michelle Dessler said. Tony looked at her.

Alberta picked up her phone and pushed a button.

"Send Richard's in." She said and hung up.

Tony stood there nervously.

--- -

Chase sat at the table next to Kimberly. Both of them were stirring cups of coffee.

"I don't understand why we have anything to do with what's going on at CTU. I left there so that something like this wouldn't happen." Chase said.

"I'm only following orders sir. I'm sure everything will be made clear soon." Drosnin said.

Chase knew that there was no way he was going to get any information out Drosnin. He looked outside the window in the dark of early morning.

--- -

Tony shuddered as Richards entered the small interrogation room. He was carrying the small black case that every terror suspect dreaded. He rested it on the table and looked down at Michelle Dessler. He opened it.

"No! That's enough." Tony said, he walked over to Richards and put his hand on the case.

"Tony, leave the room now!" Alberta said.

"No. Call Richards off. Call him off now!" Tony said. His mobile phone rang. Tony ignored it.

"Answer your phone Tony." Alberta said.

Tony pulled the phone from his jacket pocket and answered it.

"Hello?" He said.

"Turn around and leave the room or else I will blow up the remaining monuments." Nina Myers said.

"No." Tony said.

"Do you want thousands to die Tony?" Nina asked.

"No." Tony said.

"Leave the room." Nina said.

Tony moved the phone from his ear.

"Leave the room Mr. Almeida." Alberta said. Tony looked at his wife and she looked up at him. He couldn't move. He wanted to stay in her gaze forever.

Tony turned and left the interrogation room. He closed the door behind him. He moved down the corridor.

"Why are you doing this? Is this all to get revenge on Jack Bauer?" Tony asked.

"Of course not Tony, I already have Jack Bauer in my possession." Nina said.

"What?" Tony asked suddenly shocked.

"Remember that contingency plan I told you about? It went into affect half an hour ago." Nina said. "Jack Bauer is on his way to my location as we speak." She completed.

"Then what is this all about? You have what you want. Why don't you relinquish control of the C-4?" Tony said.

"Because I don't have what I want Tony." Nina said. "Not yet anyway." She completed.

"What DO you want?" Tony demanded.

"You'll find out soon enough my friend. I can't say that you'll like it, but you'll find out soon enough." Nina said. The line went dead.

Tony walked down the corridor and into the main room of the CTU complex. Chloe and Edgar were typing away at computers across from each other.

"Tony, we've got more information on those five missing hackers…" Chloe said.

"Chloe, I need you to call Curtis Manning and find out where he stands on protecting Jack Bauer." Tony said.

"Why?" She asked.

"I think his position may have been compromised." Tony said. Chloe nodded and picked up the phone.

--- -

Kimberly was in the kitchen washing some dishes at the sink. Chase walked up to her and hugged her from behind.

"Are you okay?" Chase asked.

"No Chase. I'm not okay. I thought that this was all over!" Kimberly said.

"I'm sorry Kim." He said. He let her go and turned away looking at Michael Drosnin who stood with his firearm to one side.

--- -

Chloe put the phone down just as Tony walked by.

"Did you get an answer?" Tony asked.

"No. I tried Manning and Willmore's phone. There is no answer." Chloe said.

"Son-of-a-bitch!" Tony said.

"What does that mean?" Chloe asked.

"I just got a call from Nina Myers. She says that she has Jack Bauer in her possession. I think she's telling the truth." Tony said.

--- -

Jack Bauer knew what he had to do. Strapped to the wall of the jet were multiple parachutes. He needed to somehow get free of his cuffs. Then he could make a run for the chutes, nab one and dive out of the plane.

He had already unfolded the paper clip and was trying to pick the lock of the cuffs.

Rosenbaum stood just before the cockpit of the plane with his back turned to Jack.

Jack rotated the unfolded paper clip and heard a soft clicking sound. He removed the hand-cuffs but kept his hands behind his back.

Jack climbed to his feet and began to step forward. A guard turned to him and smiled.

"Sit back down Mr. Bauer." The guard said. Jack smiled back and smacked him hard in the face.

The guard fell backward, thumping awkwardly on the ground.

Rosenbaum turned around.

"Don't Move!" Rosenbaum screamed.

Jack made for the wall. He grabbed a chute.

Rosenbaum brought his gun out and aimed it at Jack.

Jack released the door lever and it flew open. A strong wind filled the fuselage.

Rosenbaum fired, hitting Jack in the shoulder.

Jack dove out of the plane and into the cold night air.

Rosenbaum walked over to the open door and looked down into the dark night. One of the guards approached him.

"Call Yelena and tell her that Bauer just escaped." Rosenbaum said.

--- -

Michael Drosnin looked at Chase and his wife. The first thing you noticed about Chase was his missing hand. It was odd to see such a deformity on someone so young.

There was a vibration in Drosnin's chest. He pulled out his cell phone and answered it.

"It is time." Nina Myers said. Drosnin hung up the phone.

Drosnin turned to the other members of his squad and nodded. They nodded back.

Drosnin walked into the kitchen where Chase and Kimberly were standing.

"What's wrong?" Chase asked.

Drosnin aimed his gun at Chase and fired, hitting him in throat. Chase went down. Kimberly Bauer screamed.

"Secure her." Drosnin said. The squad members proceeded to secure Kimberly Bauer. Drosnin phoned Nina Myers to inform her that the second phase was done.

**4:59:57…58…59…5:00:00**


	6. Chapter 6

**The following takes place between _5:00 am and 6:00 am_. Events occur in real time.**

Jack Bauer guided the parachute towards the ground. He landed and immediately detached the D-clip that held the parachute to his back. He ran away from the chute without bothering to pick it up.

Jack didn't have his cell phone on him, but even if he did he doubted that it would work. He was in the middle of nowhere.

He was in the desert, but there was a road in the distance. He would have to jog along it until he found someone or until someone found him.

He came to the road and began walking along it. He needed to get in contact with CTU, and with Tony.

--- -

Michelle Dessler grunted in pain. She flung her head back and Richards removed the syringe from her neck. Alberta Green sat silently across from her.

"So Michelle, are you going to talk?" Alberta asked.

"I've got nothing to say to you!" Michelle said. Alberta looked at Richards and nodded. He loaded the syringe with an orange fluid and went to inject Michelle Dessler again.

--- -

Tony's mind was on his wife. The thought of her in the other room being tortured was too much. He had to push it to the back and focus on his goal; finding Nina Myers.

Chloe hung up the phone just as Tony walked past. He bent down to talk to her.

"Where are we on triangulating the phone call from Nina Myers?" Tony asked.

"I've told you already; she's not staying on the line for long enough. There is no way that we can trace her unless she breaks into the sixty second barrier." Chloe said.

"Damn it!" Tony said. He looked away and sighed.

"What about Kimberly Bauer?" Tony asked.

"What about her?" Chloe asked.

"Where is she, she was supposed to be brought back to CTU a half hour ago." Tony said.

"That's not what the order was." Chloe said. Tony was shocked.

"What are you talking about, I formulated that order myself." Tony said. Chloe minimised the hourly reports she was working on and brought up another window. The order as sent from the Director's office regarding Kimberly Bauer.

"Michael Drosnin is leading the team. His order is to secure Kimberly Bauer and to keep her at her home." Chloe said.

"Jesus!" Tony said.

"What?" Chloe asked.

"Kimberly's in danger." Tony said.

"What! How do you know that?" Chloe asked.

"I would never have given that order Chloe. It doesn't make sense! Somebody got to Drosnin, the same way they got to Willmore and Manning." Tony said. Tony walked away from Chloe. Chloe stood up.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I'm going to set up a strike team to infiltrate Kimberly's house. Maybe whoever did this left something behind…" Tony said and disappeared.

---- -

Michelle Dessler screamed. She never thought that the pain would get so bad that she would ever scream but it did. She screamed so loudly but it didn't matter. The sound-proof interrogation rooms prevented any of it from reaching the outside.

"Are you ready to talk to me?" Alberta asked. Michelle knew that she couldn't lie. Alberta would see right through her. She would have to tell the truth, even if it meant betraying Jack Bauer. She just wanted the pain to stop.

"Okay. I'll tell you!" Michelle said. Alberta waved her hand at Richards her began to pack up his syringes.

"I'm listening." Alberta said.

"Today Erin Driscoll received demands from the terrorist behind these bombings." Michelle said.

"What did the terrorist want?" Alberta asked.

Michelle paused.

"The location of Jack Bauer." Michelle said.

"What? Jack Bauer is dead." Alberta said.

"No. Last year Tony and I were involved in a conspiracy to fake Agent Bauer's death to prevent him from being executed by the President's secret service." Michelle said.

"My God!" Alberta said.

"The terrorist had only one agenda in threatening US security; the death of Jack Bauer." Michelle said.

"Who would go to so much trouble over such a thing?" Alberta asked.

"Someone who wanted revenge: Nina Myers." Michelle said.

Alberta sat back in her chair.

--- -

Kimberly Bauer was tied up, her mouth duct taped in the back of the dark van. Sitting across from her was the man that had identified himself as Michael Drosnin.

"Everything is going to be fine Kimberly. Just do what I say and you will get through this." Drosnin said. His hair was thick and oily, his eyes, bloodshot.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" He asked. Kimberly made a mumbling sound that Drosnin interpreted immediately.

"I'll take off the tape if you promise not to scream." Drosnin said. Kimberly simply nodded.

Drosnin tore the tape from Kimberly's mouth.

"Who the hell are you?" Kimberly asked.

"I'm not the one that means you any specific harm Kimberly. I was paid a lot of money to bring you to a particular location." Drosnin said.

"So you can't honestly guarantee my safety then?" Kimberly asked.

"I can guarantee it up to a certain point in time. As long as you are under my care." Drosnin said.

"Forgive me if I don't feel re-assured. Who's paying you to do this?" Kimberly asked.

"A very powerful woman." Drosnin said.

"Who?" Kimberly asked.

"That's it for question time Kimberly." Drosnin said and smiled. He returned the tape to her mouth.

--- -

Jack Bauer saw the head lights and immediately came to the centre of the road. He put his hands out to flag the car down.

The car came by at an alarming speed and began to slow down.

Jack ran to the driver's side and tapped lightly on the window.

The woman in the car wound it down.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked.

"My name is Jack Bauer; I'm a federal agent for the Counter Terrorism Unit based in LA. I need your cellular telephone." Jack said.

"LA? You're a long way from home. I'm Louise." Louise said. Jack noticed the lines of age under her eyes and how she looked attractive despite them.

"Please, if you'd just let me use your telephone." Jack said. Louise sighed and pulled out a black telephone and threw it to Jack. Jack caught in and put it to his ear.

--- -

Alberta Green came out of the interrogation room and saw Tony waiting there. She walked over to him.

"Alberta, I need your permission to lead a strike team…" Tony said.

"I know about Nina Myers and Jack Bauer." Alberta said.

"What!" Tony said.

"Michelle broke, Tony. What did you expect?" Alberta said.

"I'm sorry I kept it from you but…" Tony was interrupted again.

"I don't have time for your excuses, just be prepared to face disciplinary action when this is all over. And from now on, I want to be in on everything. Do I make myself clear?" Alberta asked.

"Yes." Tony said.

"Now why do you want to raid the Edmunds house? According to Michelle, Agent Drosnin has already been there." Alberta said.

"Yes but the orders that I issued contradict those on the official mission objective issued to Drosnin." Tony said.

"What?" Alberta asked.

"I ordered Drosnin to secure Kimberly and bring her back to CTU but on the official release his mission is to keep her there." Tony said.

"Have you tried ringing Drosnin?" Alberta asked.

"Yes but it goes straight to his message bank." Tony said.

"What are you thinking?" Alberta asked.

"It could be any number of things, but we won't know until someone goes out there." Tony said.

"Okay, but I want you to keep the strike team as small as possible. CTU may be compromised Tony…" Alberta said.

"I'm sure that it is." Tony said.

"We have to keep this as secret as possible, at least until we find the mole." Alberta said.

"What makes you think there is only one?" Tony asked.

Tony's cell phone rang. Tony answered it and walked away from Alberta.

"Almeida." Tony said.

"Tony, it's Jack Bauer." Jack said. Tony gasped.

"Jack, I thought you were captured…" Tony said.

"I got away. Listen I need you to put Kimberly on the line." Jack said. Tony paused. He was going to have to break the news to Jack.

"She's not here Jack." Tony said.

"What? I thought you said you were bringing her in?" Jack said.

"Something went wrong." Tony said.

"Damn it Tony! I told you to look after her!" Jack said.

"I know Jack. We don't know just yet what is going on. It might not be as bad as you think. You shouldn't jump to conclusions." Tony said.

"That's not good enough! If Nina has her…" Jack said.

"Listen Jack, we don't know if it has come to that yet and even if it has Nina's not going to harm a hair on her head because it's not Kimberly that she wants Jack. It's you." Tony said.

The line was silent.

"I'm coming into CTU!" Jack said.

"I don't think that's a good idea." Tony said.

"Why?" Jack asked.

"Nina Myers has admitted to having a mole inside. If you did come in there is no way to guarantee your protection." Tony said.

"I don't care about my safety. All I care about is Kimberly!" Jack said.

"You're not thinking clearly Jack! If Nina has Kimberly and you are dead, there is no reason for her to keep Kimberly alive." Tony said.

"I'm not going sit here and watch this unfold!" Jack said bitterly and powerless.

"I'm leading a strike force on your daughter's house to determine just exactly what went wrong in the recovery mission. Why don't you meet me there?" Tony asked.

"I don't even know where I am." Jack said.

"Can you find out?" Tony asked.

"I think so." Jack said.

"When you do ring Michelle's number and relay the co-ordinates to her. She can pick you up if it comes down to that." Tony said.

"Okay." Jack said. "Tony..?" Jack asked.

"Yeah?" Tony asked.

"Get Kimberly back." Jack said. Tony nodded and the line went dead.

--- -

Jack Bauer hung up the phone and handed it back to Louise.

"Thankyou." He said. "Do you know where we are?" Jack asked.

"Hold up a second stud. I heard the conversation you just had. I want to know just exactly what is going on." Louise.

"There's no time to explain. Do you know where we are or not?" Jack asked.

"We're in Arizona, about half an hour from the Californian border." Louise said.

"Can you take me there?" Jack asked.

"It's in the opposite direction." Louise said.

"I understand but this is a matter of national security." Jack said.

"I don't care honey, I'm not even an American citizen." Louise said.

"Do you have any children?" Jack asked. Louise left Bauer's gaze.

"A long time ago." Louise said.

"If you won't do it for America, then do it for another parent. Because unless I get into LA, my daughter is as good as dead!" Jack said.

"Get in the car. I want some explanations on the way over." Louise said. Jack nodded and climbed into the passenger seat of the car.

--- -

Michelle Dessler stepped out of the interrogation room and into Tony's arms. Tony sobbed.

"My God Michelle, I'm so sorry." Tony said.

"Don't be. It was necessary." Michelle said.

"I made a promise that I wouldn't let anything happen to you. I broke it today." Tony said.

"You did what needed to be done. I'm only sorry that I broke so easily." Michelle said.

"Hey, this has nothing to do with you!" Tony said.

"I'm so sorry Tony." Michelle said. Tony kissed her forehead.

"I need an update on the situation." Michelle said. She seemed cold and distant. Tony felt as if a rip had just made between them.

"Jack Bauer was captured but he got free. He's currently somewhere between Mexico and California. He's going to ring you with his co-ordinates and then you are going to go home and rest." Tony said.

"We both know that that is not an option Tony." Michelle said.

"What?" Tony asked.

"I'm staying here. There is a mole in CTU, there are only so many people we can trust." Michelle said.

"I'm not going to allow that Michelle." Tony said.

"It's not your decision." Michelle said. Michelle's phone hummed to life, she answered it and walked away from Tony.

Tony headed towards the locker room.

--- -

The van came to a stop and in moments the back door opened. Drosnin led Kimberly out of the van and onto the deserted air-field where a huge military air-craft was parked. The same one that Kimberly's father had only an hour ago dove out of.

Standing just outside of the craft was General Rosenbaum who was surrounded by a myriad of armed guerrillas. Drosnin held a gun to Kimberly's head and they walked towards him.

Drosnin and Kimberly stopped just short of Rosenbaum.

"This is the Bauer girl?" Rosenbaum asked.

"Yes." Drosnin said.

"You have done well Mr. Drosnin." Rosenbaum said.

"I'm glad you're happy with my services. It means that I've deserved my pay." Drosnin said.

"Yes, and you will be paid once your mission is over." Rosenbaum said.

"What are you talking about? I've delivered the merchandise. My mission is over." Drosnin said.

"On the contrary my friend, your mission is only just beginning. You will get half now and half when your full duties have been completed. We will be in contact." Rosenbaum said. Rosenbaum took Kimberly by the arm and led her onto the plane.

**5:59:57…58…59…6:00:00**


	7. Chapter 7

**The following takes place between _6:00 am and 7:00 am_. Events occur in real time.**

In the last dark hours of the morning Drosnin stood before General Rosenbaum. The man was trying screw him over but Drosnin wasn't going to stand for it. The sun began to peak over the horizon and he realised that he hadn't slept in hours.

"I got you the Bauer girl, my part is over. That's the deal." Drosnin said. Rosenbaum smiled briefly.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way but unless you want all of your money you will do what Yelena and I say." Rosenbaum said.

"Then I drive out of here." Drosnin said and turned, he began walking back to the van where his men were waiting quietly for their cut of the loot. He didn't know how he was going to tell them that they were only going home with half.

When Drosnin turned his back, Rosenbaum pulled out a small remote control and sighed. So it had come to this. He flipped the plastic cap on it and pushed a round red button.

The van exploded before Drosnin's eyes. Drosnin dove backward, as the heat wave rolled over him. He turned and looked back up at Rosenbaum.

"I really hoped that you would make things easy but alas that's not the case." Rosenbaum said he pulled out a suppressed berretta and held it on Drosnin.

"Get on the plane Agent Drosnin." Rosenbaum said. Drosnin did not question the man he simply smiled falsely and walked on board the carrier.

--- -

Tony Almeida walked through the CTU complex. He was looking for his wife. Every second that he couldn't find her made him more nervous. He glanced at his watch and realised that it would have been day-light outside. Most people were only about to begin their job. Tony's job had been going on for hours.

Tony jogged over towards Chloe.

"Hey Chloe, have you seen Michelle?" Tony asked.

"No." She responded and sat down. She began working on her computer. Tony walked towards the staircase that led to the Director's office. He jogged up it and knocked on the door.

Tony entered Alberta's office.

"Take a seat Tony." Alberta said. Tony walked in but did not sit down.

"I just want to know where Michelle is." Tony said.

"Michelle received a call from Jack Bauer, I believe she's on her way to pick him up in one of the choppers." Alberta said.

"What? Why wasn't I informed of this?" Tony asked.

"I don't know. She told me she was going to tell you." Alberta said. Tony sighed and then left the office. He pulled out his cell phone and auto-dialled his wife.

--- -

Michelle Dessler was in the back of CTU 6, a field-copter. The noise was loud but she managed to hear her cell phone ring. She answered it.

"Dessler." She answered.

"What the hell are you doing? Why didn't you tell me about your little field trip?" Tony asked.

"I'm sorry Tony. It must have slipped my mind. I'm en route to Jack Bauer's location at the state line. I'll transport him from there to Kimberly's house." Michelle said.

"That's not good enough! You need to tell me…" Tony said.

"I'm sorry Tony. Now's not the best time. I'll call you when I land." Michelle said. She hung up the phone and put it in her pocket.

--- -

Jack Bauer sat in the passenger's seat of the car as Louise drove along the road. Louise was asking a lot of questions but Jack was unresponsive. He told her barely enough for her to get a vague idea about the events of the morning. It was better that way. Jack didn't really know Louise but he felt that he could trust her. Trust was so foreign to him. Jack didn't think that he could truly trust anybody.

"We're almost here." Louise said.

Jack saw a helicopter arriving over the horizon. Louise pulled the car and Jack got out. They both waited for the helicopter to land.

--- -

Tony was dressing in his field gear in the locker room. His cell phone rang.

"Almeida." Tony said.

"It's Alberta Green here. I've got Nina Myers on the line. She's requesting to talk to you. I think you should come to my office." Alberta said.

"I'll be right there." Tony said. He hung up the phone and threw a T-shirt on. Tony left the locker room.

--- -

Drosnin stood across from General Rosenbaum on the carrier jet. The men that he had led into the Edmunds house were dead. Drosnin suddenly felt angry at the unnecessary waste of life.

"Why are you doing this? Why am I still here?" Drosnin asked.

"Jack Bauer escaped from our custody an hour ago. You're going to bring him back." Rosenbaum said.

"What?" Drosnin asked.

"You are a CTU agent and your cover has yet to be blown. Yelena's plan calls for both Bauer's daughter and Bauer himself." Rosenbaum said.

"What plan is her plan?" Drosnin said.

"Need to know basis my friend. I suggest you get comfortable. It's a long flight." Rosenbaum said.

Rosenbaum turned away from Drosnin. Drosnin looked at Kimberly Bauer who looked up at him, suddenly he felt sorry for her.

--- -

Tony entered Alberta's office and took a seat.

"Where are Chloe and Edgar? We should be tracing this call!" Tony said.

"Relax Tony, she's on a heavily encrypted frequency. There is no way to trace the call. She's calling us back." Alberta said. With that the phone rang. Alberta picked it up.

"Alberta Green." She said.

"Is Tony there yet?" Nina Myers asked.

"Yes." Alberta said.

"Put the phone on speaker." Nina said. Alberta pressed a button.

"Tony? Are you there?" Nina asked.

"Yes." Tony said.

"It's so good to hear your voice." Nina said.

"What do you want Nina?" Tony asked. Nina played too many mind games.

"As you are undoubtedly aware Jack Bauer escaped from my custody. This was not supposed to happen. I want you to bring him back into my possession." Nina said.

"And how do you suppose I do that?" Tony asked.

"It's simple. Just deliver him a simple message…" Nina said.

"What message is that?" Tony asked.

"That I have his daughter." Nina said.

Tony and Alberta looked at each other.

"Damn it, Nina! This is between you and Jack, leave Kimberly out of it." Tony said.

"I want Jack Bauer brought to the Rousch Dockside Warehouse in the next hour. If you fail to comply I will detonate the remaining weapons and publicly execute Kimberly Bauer. Those deaths will be on your head!" Nina said.

"But…" Tony said.

"…the dockside warehouse in an hour. That's all Tony." Nina said. The line went dead.

There was an awkward silence between Tony and Alberta.

"We need to bring him to the location." Alberta said.

"I disagree. Her plan is hinged on getting revenge. Delivering Jack Bauer is the equivalent of signing his and Kimberly's death certificate." Tony said.

"Jack and Kimberly Bauer are not the priority here. The monuments are. We need to comply with her demands or she'll destroy them." Alberta said.

"Do you really think that she won't detonate them? As soon as she gets what she wants there will be no reason for her to not blow them up." Tony said.

Alberta considered this for a moment.

"I can't believe that her only motive here is revenge." Alberta said. "Why would she go to all this trouble just to kill Jack Bauer?" She asked.

"That's just it Alberta. I don't think she means to kill Jack Bauer at all." Tony said.

"What?" Alberta asked.

"Nina and I were together just before she was discovered as a traitor. I know how her mind works." Tony said.

"What do you mean?" Alberta asked.

"She's ruthless. If she has gone to all this trouble extract revenge then it's going to be the ultimate revenge. Nina Myers has something planned for Jack Bauer, something much worse than death." Tony said.

--- -

Jack Bauer saw the helicopter approaching. He climbed out of the car and began to wave it down. The daylight had arrived but it was still cold.

The chopper lowered and came to a stop on the ground fifty meters away from Jack Bauer. The blade above the chopper began to wind down.

Louise climbed out of the car.

"So this is it?" Louise asked.

"Yes. Thank you so much for helping me tonight. I will inform CTU of your bravery and I'm sure you'll be rewarded appropriately." Jack said.

Louise reached into her purse and pulled out a small business card. She handed it to Jack Bauer.

"What's this?" Jack asked.

"It's my card. I don't know. In case you ever wanted to have coffee some time?" Louise said. Jack tried to smile but the looming threat to his daughter, his only remaining family, stopped him.

"Yeah, that would be nice." Jack nodded and turned towards the chopper.

The door of the chopper slid open and Michelle Dessler appeared. She jumped out and began to walk over to Jack. It was so odd seeing a familiar face, it made everything seem that much more real. The truth was that Michelle didn't look any different to when he last saw her, over a year ago. There was a part of Jack that wanted to hug her and break down in her arms. He couldn't believe this was all happening again. He swallowed hard and pushed the thought away.

Jack and Michelle met. They walked hurriedly back towards the chopper.

"Okay, we are going to meet Tony at your daughter's house. Your equipment is on board." Michelle said.

"Is there any news on my daughter?" Jack asked.

"No. We don't even know if Nina Myers has her. We could be worrying over nothing." Michelle said. Jack didn't reply, instead he climbed on board the chopper.

The door closed and the chopper lifted off.

--- -

Tony was ready. He jogged out of CTU into the loading bay where a van was waiting, its back doors open. His strike team was behind him. Tony led them to the van.

He and his strike team loaded into the back of a van where they sat down across from each other.

"Is everybody good to go?" Tony asked. There was a collective nod of heads. Tony reached over and banged loudly on the interior of the van.

The driver started the van and drove down the road.

--- -

Jack sat across from Michelle in the chopper. Michelle was typing on a laptop. She was in the process of debriefing Jack Bauer.

"So you're sure that it was a German military air-craft?" Michelle asked.

"Yes. But it was too old to be current issue. I don't think the German military had anything to do with this." Jack said.

"I don't understand. If it was a German military air-craft then Germany IS involved. You can't buy second-hand German carrier jets." Michelle said almost laughing.

"The man in charge was part of the military or at least he used to be. He could have hi-jacked the jet." Jack said.

"Then someone should contact Germany and investigate missing vehicles." Michelle said.

"I agree and I'd do it myself but right now all that matters to me is finding out what happened to my daughter." Jack said.

Michelle looked at Jack.

"We're going to find her Jack…" Michelle said.

"I know." Jack said, but he didn't quite believe it.

--- -

The jet touched down and Kimberly felt her ears pop as it made contact with the Earth. The last hour had been a daze and she had to struggle to remember exactly where she was.

General Rosenbaum was standing at the tail end of the plane as it detached and slowly lowered. Light filled the plane and Kimberly could see a figure standing on the ground just outside the plane.

General Rosenbaum walked out with his arms outstretched. He hugged the figure but it pulled away.

Kimberly got to her feet and began to walk closer. Something drew her closer to the shadowy figure.

"Yelena…" Rosenbaum said. "What's wrong?" Rosenbaum asked.

"You've failed!" The figure said. Kimberly recognised her voice. The figure walked past her father and onto the plane. Her face became clear. It was the face of the woman that killer her mother. It was Nina Myers.

"At least you have the Bauer girl!" Nina said. Kimberly felt the rage build inside her throat. It tasted metallic.

"Nina you bitch!" Kimberly said. Kimberly went to punch Nina Myers in the face but Nina dodged it and slammed her fist into Kimberly's throat.

"Relax Kim. You'll be joining your mother soon enough." Nina said and smiled.

"Let's get her out of here! Take her to the library basement. And for god's sake restrain her!" Nina yelled. Rosenbaum signalled one of the troops with his hands and soon Kimberly was being escorted off the plane.

--- -

The chopper touched down outside Chase and Kimberly's house. Tony had only been waiting there for a few seconds. His team was ready to go.

The door to the chopper opened and Jack Bauer jumped out followed by Michelle Dessler. They jogged over to Tony.

"Are you ready to do this?" Tony asked. Jack nodded and pulled out his gun, he held it down to one side with two hands.

"Let's get in position!" Tony said to his team. The formed around the front door of the house and Tony stood in front of it.

"On three…" Tony said, positioning his foot above the door, ready to kick it in.

"One, Two, Three!" Tony said and kicked the door in. Tony, his team and Jack Bauer stormed into the house. Michelle stood outside and breathed heavily. Her neck still aching from her interrogation, hours ago.

**6:59:57…58…59…7:00:00**


	8. Chapter 8

**The following takes place between _7:00 am and 8:00 am_. Events occur in real time.**

Jack Bauer was behind Tony Almeida as they moved through the house. Their weapons were drawn and aimed out in front of them. They passed through the archway that led into the kitchen.

Chase was lying on the ground in a pool of his own cold blood. His face was pale and his death was close.

"We need a medic!" Jack screamed. One of the strike team members called it into a hand-held radio.

Jack knelt down next to Chase, his hand on his chest, feeling the slow rise of his rib-cage.

"Chase, can you hear me?" Jack asked. Tony was beside Jack.

"Jack maybe you should wait until the medic gets here…" Tony said. Jack ignored Tony.

"Chase? If you can hear me, blink!" Jack said. Chase was still, his eyes did not blink.

--- -

Drosnin led Kimberly Bauer into the small room. He pushed her in and she turned around to face him.

"Why are you doing this? That man blew up your friends!" Kimberly said.

"They weren't my friends. I don't have any friends." Drosnin said.

"So you're just going to be pushed around by her? Why don't you stand up for yourself?" Kimberly asked. Drosnin stood there and considered this for a moment.

"Don't do this Kim because it isn't going to work!" Drosnin said and turned. He closed the door and double bolted it behind him.

Kimberly stood in the solitary room. There was no conceivable way out besides the door that was locked.

--- -

Edgar was busy opening sockets when his computer froze. His tired eyes looked at the monitor in shock. He held down 'control', 'alt' and 'delete' but it was futile. The computer was frozen.

"Chloe, can you come here for a second?" Edgar called.

Chloe looked up from her desk and hurried over to Edgar's work-station.

"What is it Edgar? I'm very busy." Chloe said.

"Did your computer just freeze?" Edgar asked. Chloe shook her head. She looked at the monitor.

The monitor flashed, a big 'Q' appeared on the screen and suddenly text appeared under it:

"WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU PUT FIVE NUCLEAR SECURITY TECHNICIANS AND 'SYNTHETIC ROMEO' TOGETHER?"

There was a pause. Edger and Chloe looked on as a large 'A' appeared.

Suddenly a video played. It was archived footage of a nuclear blast.

The file ended and Edgar's computer returned back to normal.

"What the hell was that?" Edgar asked.

"I don't know. Your computer was just hacked into. Somebody good." Chloe said.

"Do you think he's talking about the five tech heads that were kidnapped last night?" Edgar asked.

"It has to be them. They designed the software that firewalls America's nuclear weapons." Chloe said.

"Who is 'Synthetic Romeo'?" Edgar asked.

"Obviously a hacker. He must be behind their kidnapping." Chloe said.

"Whoever he is, he's claiming to have control of America's nuclear arsenal." Edgar said.

Edgar picked up the phone.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked.

"I'm calling Alberta, she needs to hear about this." Edgar said.

"No. Don't." Chloe said, she looked away from Edgar.

"What? Why not?" Edgar asked. Chloe looked at Edgar.

"Just, not yet okay?" Chloe said. She moved in closer to him. "You need to promise me that you aren't going to tell Alberta about this." Chloe said.

"I can't do that! This is a matter of national…" Edgar said.

"I love you Edgar. Please?" Chloe asked. Edgar searched her eyes for an answer. He put the phone back down.

--- -

Chase was wheeled past Tony and Jack, who were standing outside the house. Jack watched as his son-in-law was put into the CTU Medic van. The on-sight diagnosis wasn't good. Chase was in critical condition, chances of his survival were slim.

Tony turned to Jack.

"Jack, I need to tell you something…" Tony said.

"What Tony?" Jack asked.

"About an hour ago I received a call from Nina Myers; she claimed to have Kimberly under her possession." Tony said.

"What?" Jack said.

"She said she was going to kill her unless I delivered you to a specific location." Tony said.

Jack lunged at Tony. Michelle ran up to try and break it off.

"Why didn't you tell me this?" Jack demanded. Tony pulled away from Jack's hold.

"I didn't know if she was telling the truth. I wanted to make sure that she really had Kimberly before I told you!" Tony said.

"That's unacceptable Tony! We're talking about my daughter here!" Jack said.

"I'm not going to apologize." Tony said. Jack turned away and faced the CTU van.

"Where is the drop off point?" Jack asked.

"The Rousch Dockside Warehouse." Tony said.

--- -

Chloe was typing at her computer. Her telephone rang. Chloe answered it.

"Chloe…" She answered.

"Chloe, it's Alberta Green. I want to see you in my office right now." Alberta said. Chloe was confused.

"I'll be right up." Chloe said. She hung up the phone.

Chloe stood up and walked towards the stairs of the central office. She walked up them.

Chloe knocked on the door and entered. She stopped suddenly when she saw Edgar sitting across from Alberta Green.

"Please, take a seat Chloe." Alberta Green said.

"What's this about?" Chloe asked.

"It's important Chloe, please sit down." Alberta said.

"I'm very busy, so if you could just tell me real quick I could get back to work." Chloe said.

"Sit down Chloe." Alberta said. Chloe sighed and took a seat. She flashed Edgar a look.

"Edgar has just brought to my attention an incident that occurred at his computer work station that you attempted to cover-up." Alberta said.

"What?" Chloe said. Edgar looked back at her guiltily.

"Now we don't have much time, so I'm going to make this simple. Why did you cover it up?" Alberta asked. Chloe could only sit there in silence.

--- -

Jack, Tony and Michelle sat in the back of a CTU van. The remaining members of the strike team were in another van en route to the dockside warehouse where the meeting was to take place. Another medical van was taking Chase to the CTU clinic where he would receive the best care available.

"Now Jack we can't force you to take part in this. If you want to go through with Nina Myer's plan you need to do it of your own free will." Tony said.

"I understand that Tony. I'm willing to do anything to keep my daughter alive." Jack said.

"That's great Jack but we're not just going to give you over because Nina demands it. The next time she rings we're going to negotiate with her." Tony said.

"What did you have in mind?" Michelle asked a little shocked that Tony was willing to negotiate with terrorists.

Tony glanced at his wife and returned his attention to Jack.

"We're going to trade Jack Bauer for Kimberly and the locations of the C4 hotspots around America." Tony said.

"So, essentially you're sacrificing Jack?" Michelle asked.

"Michelle, I'm not going to let thousands die just because Nina Myers wants revenge. I'm more than happy to trade myself for my daughter and an end to all of this. My only concern is why Nina would orchestrate all of this just to ensure my death." Jack said.

Tony sighed. Both Jack and Michelle turned to him.

"Jack, we cannot assume that Nina Myers wants you dead." Tony said.

"Then what does she want?" Jack asked.

"She wants revenge Jack. Revenge in the true sense of the word and quite frankly I don't think, in her mind, that killing you is enough." Tony said.

--- -

Kimberly Bauer was huddled in the corner of the small white room. She had cried bitterly for the past half an hour and now the tears were only just beginning to let up. The sound of the door opening made her look alive.

Michael Drosnin walked in carrying a steel cup of something that was steaming.

"What are you doing here?" Kimberly asked.

"I brought you some coffee." Drosnin said. Kimberly forced a smile.

"You're probably the nicest man that's abducted me." Kimberly said. Drosnin handed her the cup and she took it. She put it to her lips and sipped it a little.

Drosnin walked over and knelt down next to her.

"I just wanted to let you know that this wasn't personal. I have my own reasons for being involved in this and they have nothing to do with you." Drosnin said.

Kimberly smiled even though she felt like she had swallowed poison.

"Come here." She said. "I want to tell you a secret…" She whispered.

Drosnin leaned in closer.

Kimberly threw the cup in his face, the steaming coffee scalding him.

Kimberly jumped to her feet and kicked Drosnin hard in the groin.

Kimberly bent down and got Drosnin's gun from the holster underneath his jacket. She dropped down and put the gun to his head.

"Listen to me you twisted son-of-a-bitch. You killed my husband and there is no way I am ever going to forget that! I should blow your brains out all over this white room and if you so much as make a noise I will!" Kimberly said.

There was laughter from in front of her.

Kimberly looked up just in time to be shot with a bean-bag gun. She flew back against the wall and landed flat. The gun fell from her hand and bounced next to Drosnin.

General Rosenbaum, the shooter, helped Drosnin up.

"Don't trust her. She will do anything to get away." Rosenbaum said. Drosnin nodded and they both left the room, locking it behind them.

--- -

Alberta Green had jotted down all the information that Chloe had just given her, even though it was not really anything substantial. Alberta considered doodling on the pad but decided against it.

"This is taking too long Chloe. Just tell me why you decided it was appropriate to conceal a threat to US soil from the Counter Terrorism Unit." Alberta said.

"It was the name." Chloe finally admitted.

"What?" Alberta asked.

"Synthetic Romeo…" She said again.

"What about it?" Alberta asked.

"You've heard of him before?" Edgar asked. Chloe flashed him a look that reminded Edgar of a betrayed Bengal Tiger.

"I've met him." Chloe said.

"What do you mean? In a chat room?" Alberta asked.

"Synthetic Romeo is my father." Chloe said.

--- -

Jack, Tony and Michelle sat in silence on the ride to the dockside warehouse. Tony's cell phone rang aloud. Tony picked it up and looked at it.

"It's her." Tony said. Jack looked up.

Tony pushed a button and put the phone to his ear.

"Yeah?" He said and paused. "I'm sitting across from him." He said.

Tony held out the phone to Jack Bauer. Jack took the phone and put it to his ear.

"Nina?" Jack asked.

"Hello Jack; I've missed you." Nina Myers said. Jack shuddered. Before the phone call he had pushed her miraculous survival away but now he had to face the fact that she was still alive.

"Where is Kimberly?" Jack asked.

"All good things to those who wait…" Nina said.

"If you harm her in anyway, I will kill you Nina." Jack said.

"Like you did last time?" Nina asked.

"You better pray to God that we never meet Nina because if we ever do I promise you, my face will be the last one that you ever see!" Jack said.

"You're going to pull the van over at the next service station and then Tony, Michelle and your driver are going to get out. Then you are going to drive the van the rest of the way to the warehouse and come in alone." Nina said.

Jack couldn't speak.

"I worked with CTU, I know how this sort of thing goes down and if I so much as smell Tony's bad cologne I'm going to kill her. Do you understand me Jack?" Nina asked.

"Yes." Jack said.

"Good." Nina said.

"Now you listen to me! You're going to bring her to the warehouse and let her go. When she reaches Tony and calls me off his cell phone I'll come into your custody. That's how it's going to work!" Jack said.

Nina Myers laughed.

"I'm afraid you're in no position to make any demands Jack." Nina said.

"Then I'm walking away." Jack said.

"I don't believe that for a second Jack." Nina said. "Do me a favour and hurry up will you? We don't want to be late for the party." Nina said. The line went dead.

Jack looked down at the floor and suddenly wanted to throw up.

**7:59:57…58…59…8:00:00 **


	9. Chapter 9

**The following takes place between _8:00 am and 9:00 am_. Events occur in real time.**

Chloe sat in the uncomfortable chair across from Alberta and next to Edgar. All of a sudden the little meeting had turned into an interrogation.

"You're father is Synthetic Romeo?" Alberta asked.

"That's what I've just been telling you for the past ten minutes! You know there is work that I could be doing." Chloe said.

"Why would he be involved with terrorists?" Alberta asked.

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to him for a few years, after the…" Chloe trailed off.

"…after what?" Alberta asked.

"The incident" Chloe said.

There was a silence between them.

"What incident would that be?" Alberta asked.

"My father was arrested for compromising Microsoft's operating system software in its alpha stage." Chloe said.

"Oh I read about that! William O'Brien. The guy went to prison." Edgar said.

"He wasn't going to do anything malicious!" Chloe said.

"Why did he do it then?" Alberta asked.

"He thinks that Bill Gates is possessed…" Chloe said.

"…by the devil?" Alberta asked.

"Not THE devil; a demon." Chloe said.

"What the hell is going on here?" Alberta asked.

"He was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1995." Chloe said.

"A computer hacker with schizophrenia?" Alberta asked.

"Yes. Nobody would hire him after he was diagnosed so he turned to freelance hacking, he never meant to hurt anybody. He used to plant code in corporate software that would display silly little messages and images at inappropriate times; business meetings that sort of thing." Chloe said.

"Is he good?" Alberta asked.

"He's probably the best hacker I know." Chloe said.

"Is he capable of doing this?" Alberta asked.

"If it was anybody else the answer would be definitely 'no'. Because it's him, the answer is definitely 'yes'." Chloe said.

--- -

Jack Bauer was busy explaining what Nina Myers had just said to him on the phone only minutes ago to Tony and Michelle.

"She wants me to drop you off at a service station and go to the location by myself. If there is any sign of you or anybody else at the warehouse she will kill Kimberly and blow up the remaining monuments." Jack said.

"Okay, Michelle I need you to call CTU and get them to add a layer around the security of the warehouse." Tony said.

"No. You have to terminate all security forces in the area." Jack said.

"Jack, we can organise our forces so that she won't even know we're there." Tony said.

"No Tony, I don't think that's true. She's worked with us before. She knows all our plays. I need to go into that warehouse alone." Jack said.

"I'm not going to allow that Jack." Tony said.

"You're not in charge Tony." Jack said.

"I'm calling Alberta Green right now." Tony said. He reached into his pocket and took out the phone. "She'll settle this." Tony said.

"Put the phone away Tony!" Jack said.

Tony ignored Jack and proceeded to dial the number. Jack pulled out his weapon and aimed it at Tony. Michelle gasped.

"Put it down Tony!" Jack said.

"What are you doing Jack? We're on the same team!" Tony said.

Jack smacked the roof of the van.

"Stop the van!" Jack yelled.

The van came to a screeching halt.

"Open the door and get out." Jack said.

Tony opened the door and all three of them climbed out. The traffic zoomed passed them quickly, but nobody slowed down at the site of an armed man.

Jack made his way to the driver's seat and opened the door. He reached in and pulled the driver out onto the road.

The driver stood in front of Jack, his arms in the air.

"Stand over there, next to them!" Jack yelled. The driver stood up and ran over towards Tony and Michelle without speaking.

"Now call off the security Tony." Jack said.

"No chance. We need to get Nina Myers before she kills more innocent people!" Tony said.

"It's my daughter Tony!" Jack screamed.

"I'm sorry Jack, I really am, but I'm not going to call off the security. Our priority is apprehending Nina Myers, I will do everything in my power to bring her in." Tony said.

Jack pulled the hammer back on the gun. He aimed the gun right between Tony's eyes.

"You'd really shoot me Jack?" Tony asked.

"You know I will Tony." Jack said.

Two friends stood across from each other and only seconds stood between them and Tony's death.

--- -

Alberta sat at her desk. Chloe and Edgar sat across from her.

"Does your father have a cell phone?" Alberta asked.

"Yes but he never answers it." Chloe said.

"You are going to ring him and organise a meeting. We're going to pick him up and interrogate him." Alberta said.

"Why?" Chloe asked.

"He might be our only lead to the location of Nina Myers. We can't afford to let something like this go." Alberta said.

"What makes you sure that this is connected with Nina Myers?" Chloe asked.

"The coincidence is too high don't you think?" Alberta asked.

"I don't think he will come in willingly. My father is very sick." Chloe said.

"Then organise to meet him and we will pick him up." Alberta said.

"Is that really necessary?" Chloe asked.

"You've already answered that question." Alberta said.

"What if I can't get through to him?" Chloe asked.

"Keep trying until you do." Alberta said.

--- -

"What's it gonna be Tony? Are you going to call off the security, or am I going to have to blow your brains out all over the sidewalk?" Jack asked.

"They'll hang you for this Jack!" Tony said.

"You can't hang a man that's already dead." Jack said.

Tony looked at Jack. Tony dialled in a number and put the phone to his ear.

"Yeah it's Almeida…I'm calling all units back to CTU HQ…" Tony said. He hung the phone up.

"It's done." Tony said.

"Now give me your phones. All of you." Jack said.

Michelle, Tony and the driver put their cell phones into Jack's hands.

"Keep walking in that direction. If I so much as see another CTU van when I arrive at the warehouse I will kill you Tony." Jack said.

Jack turned around and got into the van. He accelerated and merged into the traffic. The driver, Tony and Michelle just stood there.

"Can I have the rest of the day off?" The driver asked. Tony looked at Michelle.

"Yeah." Tony said.

--- -

Alberta's phone rang. She answered it. Chloe and Edgar watched as she took the call.

"CTU Green…" Alberta said. She paused as the person on the other line talked.

After a few seconds Alberta hung up the phone and stood up.

"I have to be somewhere. Chloe you need to ring your father, use my phone." Alberta said.

Alberta left the office.

Edgar and Chloe were left sitting next to each other in the office. The awkward silence between them, growing with every second.

"I'm not going to apologize Chloe." Edgar said.

"I don't expect you to." Chloe said.

"You obstructed justice today Chloe!" Edgar said.

"I don't have time for this." Chloe said.

Chloe stood and went to leave.

"What about ringing your father? You were given a direct order!" Edgar said.

"I have a phone at my desk as well Einstein!" Chloe said. She left the office.

--- -

Michael Drosnin entered the holding cell where Kimberly Bauer was still slumped in the corner. She was crying. Drosnin walked over to her and stood before her.

"If I sit down next to you, are you going to try and take my gun again?" Drosnin asked.

Kimberly was silent.

"Are you?" He asked again. Kimberly shook her head. Drosnin took a seat next to Kimberly.

"I thought we could…" Drosnin said.

"…be friends?" Kimberly asked.

"Well, I don't know…" Drosnin said.

"You killed my husband. I have nothing to say to you." Kimberly said.

"You don't know that he is dead." Drosnin said.

"Few people survive a bullet to the throat." Kimberly said.

"Tony Almeida did." Drosnin said.

"How do you know Tony Almeida?" Kimberly asked.

"I work for CTU." Drosnin said.

"That place has more traitors then allies." Kimberly said. Drosnin laughed.

"They offered me a lot of money to do what I did. I don't even know why I decided to do it. I guess I didn't know whether I could or not." Drosnin said.

"Well it's done now. You're a murderer. How much did they pay you?" Kimberly asked.

"One million." Drosnin said.

"You sold your soul for a million dollars?" Kimberly asked.

"Yeah." Drosnin said.

There was silence between them.

--- -

Tony and Michelle walked side by side along the main road. They came to a service station and headed towards it.

"Do you think Jack would have shot you?" Michelle asked.

"The only thing that matters to Jack Bauer is his daughter. He believes that I jeopardised her life for the apprehension of Nina Myers." Tony said.

"Did you?" Michelle asked. Tony stopped and turned to his wife.

"Nina Myers has the power to kill thousands of innocent civilians. That alone is justification for my actions. I'm sorry if that meant further risk to Kimberly but it was a necessary risk." Tony said.

"What do you think Nina is going to do with him?" Michelle asked.

"I don't know but Jack would do anything for Kimberly, Nina knows this, and that frightens me Michelle." Tony said.

--- -

Jack Bauer exited the van. He looked at the aging warehouse and walked towards it slowly. His hand was close to the weapon in his belt. Jack entered the warehouse.

Inside it was dusty and dank. Jack quickly scanned the area but no one could be found. He walked into the warehouse slowly and left the wide double doors open behind him.

"Nina!" Jack called. There was only silence.

Jack wandered into the warehouse and waited for something to happen. He stood in its centre and heard a click of a gun hammer being pulled.

"Drop the weapon Jack." A familiar voice said behind him.

Jack turned and faced Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum had his gun aimed on him.

"Where's Nina?" Jack asked.

"You really think Yelena would expose herself so easily? She's not coming." Rosenbaum said.

"Then I walk. The deal is off." Jack said. Jack turned to walk away.

"Fine, I'll call my daughter and tell her to kill Kimberly." Rosenbaum said.

Jack stopped and turned around.

"Where are we going?" Jack asked.

"Follow me." Rosenbaum said.

--- -

For the past twenty minutes Chloe had been trying to ring her father on his cell phone with no success. She hit the re-dial button and sighed.

The phone rang.

"Hello?" Her father answered. Chloe was shocked.

"Dad?" Her voice wavered when she spoke.

"Chloe, is that you?" Her father said.

Edgar saw that she had gotten through and wheeled over towards her desk. He picked up a headset and put on, tapping into the line.

"Dad, I'm in trouble." Chloe said.

"Sweet-heart! What's wrong?" William asked.

Alberta Green was carrying a clipboard. She saw Chloe on the phone and jogged over to her.

Edgar threw her a headset and she caught it. Alberta snapped it onto her head and began listening.

"I need to meet you." Chloe said.

"I don't think that is such a good idea. I am very busy." William said.

"Dad it's urgent." Chloe said.

Alberta was nodding.

"I don't know…" William said.

"Please Dad, I don't ask you for much." Chloe said.

"Okay, okay. I can meet you in half an hour." William said.

"At the café…" Chloe said.

"Sounds perfect." William said. Chloe hung the phone up and looked at Alberta.

"What is 'the café'?" Alberta asked.

"It's a café he used to take me when I was younger." Chloe said.

"I need you to write down its location." Alberta said. She stood up.

"Where are you going?" Chloe asked.

"I'm going to get a team in place to apprehend your father, so we can interrogate him." Alberta said coldly. She walked away.

Chloe looked at Edgar, the man who had betrayed her.

--- -

Rosenbaum led Jack Bauer out the back of the warehouse. The dock was empty with the exception of a speed boat that bobbed on the harbour. An armed man stood on it.

"Get on the boat." Rosenbaum said.

Jack Bauer obeyed his orders and walked onto the boat.

When Rosenbaum was on, the armed man started the boat and they jetted along the murky water of the harbour.

**8:59:57…58…59…9:00:00**


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note:**

_I seem to be getting blasted for my portrayal of Chloe. While I don't agree with some of the comments, I do see the point about her being a very private character and have tried to adapt accordingly. I still hope you enjoy this fan fiction and please review! Nothing makes a budding writer feel better then a review (even if it does contain some criticism). Happy Reading! _

**The following takes place between _9:00 am and 10:00 am_. Events occur in real time.**

Chloe walked out of CTU and towards her car. Right now, a CTU strike team was gathering around the café that had been a prominent place in her childhood. She was going to drive there and set up her father who was probably involved in the Nina Myers affair.

Edgar jogged clumsily behind her.

"Chloe, wait!" He said. He was out of breath. Chloe kept walking.

Edgar finally reached her just as she unlocked the front door of her car.

"Chloe!" Edgar said.

Chloe turned to Edgar. Looking at him only made the rage inside her grow like an unstoppable cancer. She didn't want to make a scene, she wished that Edgar would just turn around and go away.

"Chloe, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry that your father is involved in this." Edgar said.

Chloe looked around to make sure that no one was listening. She looked at Edgar.

"You're not sorry about anything Edgar!" Chloe said.

"I realise that what you're about to do is hard Chloe, but did you really have any other choice?" Edgar asked.

Chloe stepped away from the car and closer to Edgar. She looked at him, penetrated him with her eyes.

"In a few minutes I'm about to betray my father which will result in his torture. Don't presume to know how that feels Edgar, because you don't have any idea!" Chloe said.

"Chloe your father is a terrorist." Edgar said.

"My father has a mental illness." Chloe said. Chloe turned but Edgar grabbed her, spinning her back around.

"Let go of me Edgar!" Chloe said.

"I love you Chloe." Edgar said.

"I only ever loved one man, and a few seconds he's going to stop loving me!" Chloe said. She turned and got into the car.

Edgar stood, tears forming in his eyes as the woman he loved drove out of the CTU car park.

--- -

Jack Bauer sat on the speed boat. Rosenbaum sat across from him, the gun in his hand preventing Jack from doing anything. They didn't even need a gun to make Jack do what they wanted. All they needed was Kimberly.

"What is this all about?" Jack asked.

"Be quiet, Bauer." Rosenbaum said.

"Is this really about revenge? Why go to all this trouble just to kill me? Why don't you just end this charade and shoot me now!" Jack said.

"You really think that your death is part of Yelena's revenge?" Rosenbaum asked. "You're so naïve."

"Then what is this all about?" Jack demanded.

"She's going to make you suffer until your last breath, Jack." Rosenbaum said.

Jack looked at Rosenbaum, he didn't have to wonder what that meant. He knew it already.

--- -

Tony and Michelle entered the service station. There was an overweight man behind the counter, his name tag said 'Chris'. Tony walked up to Chris, Michelle stood behind him.

Chris looked up from his Automobile magazine and Tony noticed that there were bread crumbs around his mouth. The visual made Tony almost gag.

"Hello Chris, do you have a public phone in here?" Tony asked.

"Nope." Chris said. He returned his gaze to Tony after he was finished checking out Michelle.

"Can I use your store phone?" Tony asked.

"Nope." Chris said.

"Please?" Tony asked.

"Store phone is for employees only." Chris said.

"Maybe this will change your mind." Tony said. He pulled out his badge and showed it to Chris.

"CTU? For all I know that's a bird watching club." Chris said. Michelle giggled.

"It's actually the Counter Terrorist Unit, a federal agency." Tony said.

"You mean like the FBI?" Chris asked.

"Yeah." Tony said.

"Don't the FBI get cell phones?" Chris said.

"We had cell phones, but due to unforseen circumstances we lost them." Tony said.

"That's too bad. I still can't let you use this phone." Chris said. Tony sighed. Michelle stepped forward.

"Listen! If you don't let us use your phone I'm going to arrest your fat ass for refusing to aid a federal officer, I'm sure your manager would like that!" Michelle yelled. Chris looked shocked.

Chris reluctantly pushed a phone across the counter and Tony grabbed it. He started to dial, all the while smiling at Michelle.

--- -

Alberta had the obligatory headache that came with staring at a computer monitor for six straight hours. She looked away from the monitor and rubbed her eyes. Her desk phone rang. Alberta picked it up.

"CTU Green." She said.

"It's Tony Almeida here." Tony said.

"Almeida, I just got the message that you called off all forces from the dockside warehouse, why?" Alberta asked.

"Nina Myers called Jack Bauer personally and told him that if he didn't call off CTU security she would kill his daughter. Jack ordered me to call off security and then proceeded alone to the warehouse." Tony said.

"You outrank Jack the last time I checked. Under what authority did Jack make those decisions?" Alberta asked.

"Under the authority of a SigSauer pointed at my face." Tony said.

"Damn it!" Alberta said.

"He took the van and we were unable to follow him. We're at a service station now, it's on…" Tony was interrupted.

"I know where you are, I'm sending a van to pick you up. Tony, we have another lead: apparently Chloe's father is behind the five missing computer technicians responsible for America's nuclear warhead firewall software." Alberta said.

"What?" Tony said.

"She's en route to an organised meeting with him now. We're going to nab him and interrogate him." Alberta said.

"And Chloe agreed to this?" Tony asked.

"She did." Alberta said.

"You need to proceed with caution Alberta." Tony said.

"Why?" Tony asked.

"Blood is thicker then water, it's an old cliché but it's true. Are you sure Chloe is co-operating 100 percent with you?" Tony asked.

"If Chloe betrays us, It'll be considered it an act of high treason. I don't need to tell you what the punishment for that is." Alberta said.

Tony was stung by her words. Alberta was always a hateful bitch.

"Just be careful." Tony said.

"I'm ordering the van to take you to the building across from the café where Chloe is meeting her father. I want you to both to supervise this and make sure it goes perfectly." Alberta said.

"What about Jack Bauer?" Tony asked.

"I think this is more important. If Nina Myer's goal is to have the power of America's nuclear warheads then abducting the only man who can allow that to happen is our top priority." Alberta said.

"Of course." Tony said.

"Go to the café and make sure the abduction goes smoothly. Tony you're going to be the one interrogating Chloe's father, make sure you get all the information you can out of him." Alberta said. She hung up the phone.

Alberta returned her gaze to the monitor. She began writing a request for a van to be sent to Tony's location.

--- -

The boat pulled up to the side of a dock. The driver climbed onto the wharf and Rosenbaum signalled for Bauer to climb up onto it.

The surroundings were desolate. Jack could find his way back to CTU if he tried but he really had no idea where they were. His mind was to busy concentrating on his daughter. He needed to hold her.

They walked along the wharf towards another warehouse. Rosenbaum had a gun aimed at Jack's back. Jack knew that he could kill both of them and escape easily but there was something stopping him and that was his daughter. His mind awkwardly ran over the different situations that Nina could put him in, he felt nauseous at the thought of them.

They came to the ware house and Rosenbaum knocked on the door, it slid open and they entered.

The warehouse was littered with armed guards. They stood at various tactical positions around the area. They had powerful automatic weapons and all of them were aimed at Jack. In the dead centre of the warehouse was a figure shrouded in the darkness of shadow.

Jack came closer to her and she stepped out towards him.

"Hello Jack." Nina Myers said. She looked deathly pale and there was a jagged scar that ran across her face. She looked different but Jack knew it was her.

"Where is my daughter?" Jack asked.

"You'll be with her soon." Nina said.

Jack looked at Nina. He couldn't believe that he was in this situation again. Nina had all the power, he suddenly felt weak. He dropped to his knees and began to sob openly. Nina only smiled.

"I killed you! It was over!" Jack said through bitter tears.

"Obviously not, Jack." Nina said.

"How?" Jack asked. He looked up at the smiling angel of death that he had shared so much with.

"How did I survive?" Nina asked.

"Yes. You were dead. I killed you!" Jack said.

"I was dead." Nina said. "Clinically dead for minutes, the longest time ever recorded as a matter of fact. They took me to the morgue underneath CTU when I was resurrected." Nina said.

Jack wiped the salty tears from his eyes.

"I woke up in a body bag Jack, when I got free the morgue clerk looked at me like she had seen a ghost. Maybe I was a ghost Jack. I put her in the body-bag and they thought she was me. No one even opened it again. No one even checked." Nina said.

"No." Jack said.

"At first I thought it was a miracle. I was convinced that God had spared me solely to complete this task but you want to know the weird part?" Nina asked.

Jack looked away from her.

"You want to know the weird part?" Nina repeated. She dropped to her knees and was holding Jack's head. She kissed his forehead. He wanted to rip her head off her neck and make sure she was dead for good.

"The weird part is this: Later, when I had a blood test, they found remnants of a large amount of Epinephrine in my body. It wasn't a miracle Jack, somebody inside CTU injected me with it, someone inside CTU brought me back." Nina said.

Jack looked up at her, he was mortified.

"Somebody in there wanted me alive." Nina said.

--- -

Tony and Michelle arrived at the café and jumped out of the van, a few blocks from where there base of operations was. They walked slowly past the café and into the building across the road from it.

The building was a book store that had been liberated by a CTU team only minutes ago. Michelle and Tony walked up the steps and entered it.

A woman was standing in the room with an ear piece in her left ear.

Once inside they took a pair of binoculars from a table and watched Chloe, who was sitting alone at a table outside the café.

"Charlie, how long has she been sitting out there?" Tony asked a Charlie. She was a CTU sting operation specialist. She ran these operations for a living.

"Only a few minutes." Charlie said.

"Where is the strike team?" Tony asked.

"They are ready to go on your command." Charlie said.

Tony looked out and waited for the subject; William O'Brien to show up. Michelle placed her hand on his shoulder and for a few precious, still seconds they were together.

--- -

Chloe ordered a coffee and it just arrived. She sugared it and began stirring it. After a few seconds she took a sip and it burnt her tongue. She rested the coffee on the table and saw him coming down the street.

William O'Brien wore an old suit and had dark black hair that was stained by stray grey flints. He wore glasses and to look at him you wouldn't believe that he suffered from a mental illness at all.

William O'Brien kissed Chloe on the cheek and then took a seat across from her.

"What's up? I can't stay long." William said. Her father had always been like this, curt and to the point.

"Dad, you did something very bad." Chloe said. Her father's smile turned to a frown.

"What do you mean?" William said.

In the corner of her eye, Chloe saw the team of CTU agent's, dressed in black, swarm over to the café. They kicked over a table and it crashed loudly on the ground.

"William O'Brien! Do not move!" One of them yelled. Chloe stood up and back away as a CTU agent approached her father.

"Raise your hands above your head and interlock your fingers." The voice boomed.

William looked at Chloe and Chloe looked back into his hurt eyes. A tear formed in her eye.

**9:59:57…58…59…10:00:00**


	11. Chapter 11

**The following takes place between _10:00 am and 11:00 am_. Events occur in real time.**

The CTU agent slammed the cuffs on William O'Brien, he dragged him over towards an unmarked van that's doors were opened. Chloe followed her father and his eyes never left her.

"Go easy. He hasn't done anything wrong!" Chloe shouted.

Her father could only look at her.

"What's going on?" William asked.

The CTU agent threw him into the back of the van and hopped in. He closed the door behind him and the van sped down the road. Chloe was left standing out in the street.

Tony Almeida jogged over to her.

"Come with me Chloe, I'll give you a ride back to CTU." Tony said. Chloe didn't answer, she simply stood in the street, in the gaze of hundreds of civilians.

"Chloe, you did the right thing." Tony said.

"It's okay, I drove here and I'll drive back." Chloe said, with that she walked away from Tony Almeida.

--- -

"Who inside CTU brought you back to life?" Jack asked. He had asked Nina the same question over and over but she hadn't answered and there was nothing to suggest that she was going to now.

Nina Myers turned around.

"I don't think you're ready for that answer Jack." Nina said.

"Damn you Nina! Tell me who the mole is!" Jack demanded.

"I wouldn't even concern myself with such a trivial issue if I were you Jack." Nina said. She approached Jack Bauer and kissed him on the mouth. "There are much more pressing issues at stake don't you think?" She kissed him again.

Jack closed his eyes and waited for the horrible moment to pass. Nina took a step backward and took out a weapon. She aimed it at Jack.

"Goodnight Jack." Nina said. She fired. Jack Bauer went down.

The tranquilizer worked its poison into Jack Bauer's body and soon he was unconscious.

--- -

Tony and Michelle were helping to pack up the base of operations across the road from the café. Tony's new cell phone rang.

"Almeida." Tony said.

"It's Alberta, I got word from the clinic that Chase Edmunds just regained consciousness." Alberta said.

"We need someone to debrief him right away." Tony said.

"I know, but there isn't anybody capable of debriefing here." Alberta said.

Tony looked at Michelle.

"Yes there is." Tony said. "Michelle will debrief Chase while I handle the interrogation." Tony said.

--- -

The van carrying William O'Brien stopped out the back of CTU. The back doors opened and William was led out by the captain of the team. The other members walked along side him to ensure that nothing dramatic might happen.

"Who are you guys anyway? I at least get to know whose arresting me don't I?" William asked.

"Everything will be explained to you inside Mr. O'Brien." The CTU captain said.

They led William into CTU.

--- -

Chloe stood in shock as she watched her father dragged into CTU. She immediately tried to walk away and hide so that her father wouldn't see her but she was to slow.

"Chloe, you tell them. I have nothing to do with this!" William said. Chloe only turned and looked at her father being dragged to the interrogation area.

Chloe could hear the sound of footsteps behind her, she turned and saw Edgar. She turned back and walked away from him.

Alberta Green walked past Chloe and down to the interrogation rooms.

--- -

The CTU captain sat William down in a chair just as Alberta Green walked in.

"Okay Mr. O'Brien. We can do this two ways:" Alberta said. William looked worried.

William shifted nervously in his seat.

"I know a man named Richards, and he is very good at getting information out of people. He's also very good at inflicting pain, that's all he does as a matter of fact. If you co-operate with me, there will be no reason for me to invite Richard's into this room, if you don't, I'll ring him right now."

"You have the wrong man. I'm innocent." William said.

"In 1999 you were arrested for penetrating Microsoft's latest operating system in it's alpha stage. You went under the alias 'Synthetic Romeo'." Alberta said as she flipped through a manila folder, reading the history of William O'Brien.

"Yes. That was a long time ago when I was very sick." William said.

"Today we received a message stating that 'Synthetic Romeo' was going to cause a nuclear disaster with American warheads…" Alberta said but she was cut off.

"It's obviously a set-up. Whoever told you this was lying. I have not operated under that handle for years!" William said.

"It was 'Synthetic Romeo' who sent us the message." Alberta said.

"He stole my identity! I had nothing to do with this!" William said.

Alberta sat back in the chair and sighed, it was going to be a long day.

--- -

Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler entered CTU. They walked side by side until they came to the main lobby where they had to part.

"I've got to go to the interrogation rooms." Tony said. Michelle nodded and began walking towards the clinic.

Tony grabbed her arm and spun her around.

"I love you." Tony said. Michelle smiled and they embraced quickly.

Michelle left Tony's arms and headed for the clinic. Tony turned and walked towards the interrogation room.

--- -

Chase Edmunds was in the clinic bed and he looked like he might die in any moment. The first thing Michelle noticed as she entered the room was that there were dozens of tubes coming out of his body.

Michelle walked over to Chase and a female doctor walked over to her.

"I'm Dr. Chen, can I help you?" Dr. Chen asked.

"I'm here to de-brief Agent Edmunds." Michelle said.

"Oh yes, there has been a problem. Chase was conscious a few moments ago but unfortunately he slipped back." Dr. Chen asked.

"Damn it! Can you wake him back up?" Michelle asked.

"I'd prefer not to. Waking him up may cause neural damage. Is his de-briefing vital?" Dr. Chen asked.

"Yes, but not that vital…" Michelle said.

"He may wake up in a few minutes. Why don't you sit down and wait." Dr. Chen said.

Michelle decided that it was a good idea; she had been on her feet for that past eleven hours, except when she was being tortured but that didn't really count as good rest. She sat down and watched the critically wounded Chase Edmunds sleep.

--- -

Tony walked into the interrogation room to find Alberta questioning the suspect. He walked over to her.

"What have you got so far?" Tony asked.

"He claims that he has nothing to do with the terrorist attacks and that somebody 'stole his identity'…his words." Alberta said. She stood up.

"I'll leave it to you. I've got things to do." Alberta said.

"Okay." Tony said and Alberta left.

"Mr. O'Brien, my name is Tony Almeida. It's very important that you be truthful with me today, a lot of lives are at stake here." Tony said.

"My daughter organised this whole thing didn't she? She must have read the message that this hacker sent and thought it was me. My own daughter!" William said. He looked like he was about to break down and cry.

Tony paused.

"Your daughter did see the message and she did organise the meeting but she did the right thing. Chloe is a patriot and if you're innocent then I'm sure this whole thing will be cleared up in a matter of hours." Tony said.

Tony looked into the eyes of William. He began to question whether William did anything wrong at all.

--- -

Kimberly Bauer sat in the cell alone. The sound of the locks opening could be heard. Drosnin stepped into the cell.

"They're moving you. Get up!" Drosnin said. Kimberly looked at him but didn't move.

Drosnin walked over to her and grabbed her, dragging her to her feet.

Kimberly resisted initially but eventually just gave up.

--- -

Michelle Dessler closed her eyes and struggled to open her again. The monotonous beeping of medical equipment all around her was oddly soothing. She was waiting for Chase Edmunds to wake up.

--- -

Tony Almeida sighed. William O'Brien wasn't giving anything useful. He was having trouble deciding whether or not Richards would be beneficial to the interrogation. Tony stood up and walked over to William shoving his chair so that he could look at him close in the eyes.

"Are you in any way involved in this?" Tony asked.

"No." William said simply, he could see a tear forming at William's eye.

Tony sighed and turned around, he felt something grab at his gun holster.

Tony spun around to see William holding a gun at Tony's head.

"Alright you son-of-a-bitch, we're gonna go for a little walk!" William said.

"Don't do anything stupid Mr. O'Brien." Tony said.

William looked around the room and focussed on the one way glass that reflected his image. There were people behind there monitoring the situation.

"Open the door!" He screamed to the mirror.

"There is nobody in there. You're only dealing with me." Tony said.

"Good. You open the door." William said to Tony. Tony nodded and moved towards the door.

--- -

Alberta was leaning over Edgar's terminal. She was going over the hourly reports with him.

There was a collective gasp that came from the workers. Alberta turned around to see William O'Brien holding Tony Almeida hostage.

Michelle walked into the foyer and was shocked to see Tony held hostage by William. She was frozen, she didn't know what to do.

"If you do everything I say, when I say it then your friend doesn't die!" William said.

"Let him go, or we will have no choice but to use lethal force." Alberta said.

"I want a car waiting out the front of CTU, after that I want clear passage to a dockside warehouse, if you are following me I will kill Tony." William said.

"We cannot give that to you. We don't negotiate with terrorists!" Alberta said.

"Then that's to bad because Mr. Almeida's brains are gonna be all over this shiny floor if you don't do what I say!" William said.

There was a gunshot. William gasped and fell down. Tony stepped away and turned to see Chloe standing with a gun aimed out in front of her, smoke was coming from the barrel.

Tony immediately kneeled over William, who took the round in the shoulder.

"We need a medic in here!" Tony yelled.

Michelle Dessler ran to Tony. She leaped into his arms and kissed him.

"Oh my God, I thought you were…" Michelle said. Tony kissed her back.

"I'm right here." Tony said.

Alberta approached Chloe who was standing with her gun still aimed.

"Put down the gun Chloe." Alberta said.

Chloe looked into Alberta's eyes and let the gun drop.

"Come with me, we'll get you some coffee." Alberta said. Chloe nodded, it sounded like a good idea. They both walked towards the rec room.

--- -

Kimberly was pushed into a small room. It was completely white like her last cell. The only difference was that there were no beds and only a small table in the centre of the room, on the table was a gun.

On the other side of the room was a figure unconscious on the ground. She almost collapsed when she saw that it was her father.

Kimberly ran over to him and kneeled down.

"Dad, are you okay?" She asked.

Jack stirred restlessly in his unconsciousness. Kimberly hit him hard across the face and he woke up.

Jack looked into his daughter's eyes and smiled. He hugged her hard and she hugged him back. They were together.

"Oh baby, I'm so sorry…" Jack said. He started to cry. Everything bad that had ever happened to Kimberly had been his fault.

"It's okay, I'm okay." Kimberly said.

"I love you so much Kimberly!" Jack said as he slowly stood up. He looked at Kimberly and they both stood together weeping.

There was a crackling of a PA system that disturbed their moment. Suddenly a familiar voice filled the air.

"In the past twenty four hours five elite computer programmers responsible for the firewall software that protects America's nuclear weapon silos were compromised resulting in my absolute control of the nuclear arsenal." It was the voice of Nina Myers.

"I will not hesitate to launch these nuclear missiles at all American cities, which will result in near total destruction of the populace. The only thing that stands between now and the most catastrophic event to happen on American soil is a task to be performed by you Jack." Nina said.

Jack stood in front of Kimberly in a protective stance. He was not going to let anything happen to her.

"On the table in front of you is a gun." Nina said. Jack looked at the black SigSauer sitting on the table.

"You've always said that you will do anything to protect your country Jack. You've killed hundreds of people, let hundreds die so that Americans can sleep safe at night. For me, you only have to kill one person." Nina said.

Jack couldn't breath.

"Pick up the gun and shoot your daughter in the head Jack. If she is not confirmed dead in the next ten minutes I will launch the nukes." Nina said.

Jack looked at the gun and then at his daughter, who stood with her mouth open. Jack was fighting back tears.

**10:59:57…58…58…59…11:00:00**


	12. Chapter 12

**The following takes place between _11:00 am and 12:00 pm_. Events occur in real time.**

Alberta sat across from Chloe in the rec room and the steaming mugs of coffee in front of them remained relatively untouched.

Chloe had been in a state of silence for minutes.

"I shot my father." She said finally.

"You did the right thing out there. He had a federal agent in a hostage situation, you had no choice but to act the way that you did." Alberta said.

"I…" Chloe said but didn't continue.

"Look maybe you should have the rest of the day off. I know a brilliant psychiatrist that will see you this afternoon…" Alberta said.

"That won't be necessary." Chloe said. She stood up.

"Sometimes we need help even though we may not want it Chloe. You've had a pretty rough eleven hours today…" Alberta said.

"I really have to get back to work. Thank you for the coffee." Chloe said. She turned and left, she hadn't even sipped the coffee.

--- -

Tony Almeida and Michelle Dessler stood in the clinic above William O'Brien's bed.

"You're obviously involved in this now you are going to tell us everything that you know or we'll make sure that you go to prison for a long time." Tony said.

"Go to hell! I'm not going to tell you a damn thing!" William said.

Tony turned to Michelle.

"Can you bring Richards in here?" Tony asked. Michelle nodded and left the clinic.

"I'm sure Alberta would have told you all about Richards…" Tony said.

"It doesn't make a difference. I'm not going to break." William said.

Tony leaned in close to him.

"Everybody has a breaking point William. I promise you right now that we will find yours." Tony said.

He backed away and waited for Richards' arrival.

--- -

Jack couldn't fight the tears any longer. They came out slowly at first but then they started to gush out like an uncontrollable flash flood.

Kim saw her father's pain and started to cry as well.

"I won't do it!" Jack said.

"Then you have just killed thousands of innocent civilians. Congratulations Jack." Nina said over the PA system.

"No!" Jack screamed.

"What's it going to be Jack? Either you kill Kim or the nukes are launched!" Nina said.

Jack looked at the gun and then down at his daughter. He reached over and picked up the gun and it felt heavier then any gun he had ever held before.

His daughter looked at him through teary eyes.

"I'm so sorry baby." Jack said.

Jack checked the clip of the weapon and then cocked it.

"Please forgive me." He said to Kim. Kim shook her head.

Jack put the gun to his own head and held it there.

"No! Don't even think about it!" Nina screamed.

Jack went to pull the trigger when the cell door slammed open.

Two guards ran in and Jack shot them both quickly. He turned to Kim.

"Get down in the corner! When I tell you to move, you move Kim!" Jack said.

Jack held the weapon on the doorway. Another guard came in. Jack fired three rounds into the guard's centre mass.

"Move!" Jack said. Kim jumped up and followed her father out of the cell.

--- -

Jack was in a room that was filled with computers. A computer technician was looking at monitors. When Jack entered he backed up in his swivel chair, Jack aimed his gun at him.

"How do I get out of here?" Jack screamed.

"What?" The computer technician asked.

"How do I get out of here?" Jack screamed. He held the gun at the computer technician's head.

The technician pointed towards a door. Jack looked over at it, he turned and shot the computer technician three times.

Kim was shocked.

"Stay here Kimberly. Do not move!" Jack said. He walked over to the door and kicked it open.

An alarm went off. Jack turned back to Kimberly.

"This area is secured. I'm going to clear the warehouse, you need to call CTU from one of the phones here, they'll send back up." Jack said.

Jack walked over to the corpse of the computer technician, he searched him and found a gun.

Jack tossed the gun to Kimberly. Kimberly caught it.

"If anybody comes in here shoot them Kim." Jack said. Kim was shocked and silent.

Jack walked over to her and grabbed her.

"Hey! We're going to get out of this." Jack said. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Okay?"

Kim was silent.

"Okay?" Jack asked again.

"Yes." Kim said.

Jack nodded and turned towards the door, he held his gun out and ventured into the warehouse.

--- -

Richards walked into the hospital room.

"Is this the man?" Richards asked, looking at William.

"Yeah." Tony said.

Richards walked over to William and set up his brief case on the bedside table. He opened it to reveal a set of syringes. He picked them up and went to work.

--- -

Jack Bauer moved down the empty hallway to the closed door at the end. He leaned against the wall next to the door and waited there with his gun aimed, ready for it to open.

He heard the sound of footfalls from the other side of the door. The door opened.

Jack turned and fired, taking out two guards. He moved down the other end of the hallway.

--- -

Michelle Dessler walked across the CTU lobby. She was heading back towards the clinic where Richards was in the middle of interrogating William; her cell phone rang.

"This is Michelle." Michelle said.

"Michelle its Kim…" Kim said, she sounded panicked on the other line.

"Oh My God, Kim where are you?" Michelle asked. She walked over towards where it was quiet.

"I don't know exactly where I am. I'm at a dockside warehouse somewhere along the harbour. It's quiet here. I think it might be abandoned or something." Kim said.

"Okay Kim, I'm going to need you to stay on the line so I can triangulate the call." Michelle said.

Michelle rushed over to Edgar's security station and put her hand over the cell phone she was holding in her hand.

"I need your station Edgar." Michelle said.

"Why?" Edgar asked.

"I've got Kimberly Bauer on the other line, I need to triangulate the call." Michelle said.

"It's probably encrypted. You need to manually patch in through a remote server for that." Edgar said.

"What does that require?" Michelle asked.

"A laptop." Edgar said.

"Go get it for me." Michelle said. Edgar jumped out of his chair and ran towards the equipment room.

Michelle talked into the cell phone.

"Okay Kim, everything is going to be fine. We're on our way to determining exactly where you are. You just need to stay on the line for a few more minutes." Michelle said.

--- -

Jack moved through the warehouse, he cleared every room so that there was no possibility that someone could go back for his daughter but he still felt a nagging sense of dread. He had to remind himself that Nina Myers wouldn't harm her unless she really needed to, and that his daughter was an integral part of her plan.

He came to the end of the hall way and stopped on the corner. There was an eerie silence, it was too quiet.

Jack slowly poked his head around the corner and felt something grab him and slam him against the opposite wall.

Jack looked up just in time to be punched hard in the face. It was Rosenbaum.

Rosenbaum kneed him hard in the stomach and Jack fell down. Jack dropped his weapon and it slid across the floor.

Jack got to his knees and received a kick in the face.

Rosenbaum held a gun to him.

"Don't move Jack!" Rosenbaum said.

Jack paused, in the corner of his eye he saw his weapon lying there.

"You made a very big mistake today." Rosenbaum said.

Jack lunged over and grabbed the gun. Rosenbaum fired, the bullet zipped past Jack's head.

Jack fell back into position and shot Rosenbaum in the right shoulder. Rosenbaum fell.

--- -

Edgar and Michelle looked at the monitor impatiently. It was busy triangulating the source of Kim's call.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Kim asked.

"Only a little bit longer, you're doing great Kim!" Michelle said.

The computer beeped. The call was coming from an abandoned dockside warehouse in LA.

Michelle picked up Edgar's desk phone and auto-dialled Alberta's number.

"CTU Green." Alberta said.

"It's Michelle Dessler, we've located the warehouse where Kimberly is being held. You need to send a CTU strike team to the location I'm sending you now!" Michelle said. She hung up the phone, it wasn't the most polite phone call she had made but it would get results.

Michelle picked up her cell phone.

"Kim are you there?" Michelle asked.

There was no answer.

"Kim?" Michelle asked again.

There was only silence.

--- -

Rosenbaum was breathing heavily. Jack leaned over him, he was trying to push him for information but so far he was being unresponsive.

"Tell me where Nina is!" Jack yelled. Rosenbaum refused to answer.

Jack took his gun and put it to Rosenbaum's shoulder, he pulled the trigger. A bullet ripped through Rosenbaum's flesh at close range. Rosenbaum screamed.

"Tell me where she is, now!" Jack yelled. Rosenbaum looked at Jack with white hot hate in his eyes.

"You are too late. Yelena has already cleared the area by now!" Rosenbaum said.

"Damn it!" He yelled and stood up. He grabbed Rosenbaum and forced him to move in front of him.

--- -

Richards pulled the syringe out of William's neck. Richards grunted in pain.

"Now, are you going co-operate with us on this?" Tony asked.

William shook his head.

"Amp it up a notch." Tony said. Richards nodded.

--- -

Michelle Dessler gave up on getting Kim to respond, she had to assume that she was in danger. She hung up the phone and rang Alberta again.

"What is it Michelle?" Alberta asked.

"Where is the strike team?" Michelle asked.

"They are en route to co-ordinates you sent me. This better be good Michelle or I'll have your job." Alberta said.

Michelle didn't even respond, she simply hung up the phone.

--- -

Jack arrived outside the warehouse just as the CTU chopper landed. Jack had Rosenbaum hostage. He moved towards the chopper.

The door to the chopper slid open and a CTU team leader dropped out. His name was Reiko, Jack had spoken to him before.

"Reiko, my daughter is in there. We need to get her out!" Jack yelled.

Reiko nodded and jumped out of the chopper, a squad of eight men were behind him.

"Someone needs to stay here and secure Rosenbaum!" Jack said.

"You do it!" Reiko yelled.

"No, I'm going in with you!" Jack yelled over the beating blade of the chopper.

Reiko was distracted by something at the entrance of the warehouse.

Jack looked over and saw it: There were about ten masked men standing in a line, with automatic weapons aimed in front of them. There were four snipers on the roof. The small CTU squad was outnumbered.

In the centre of the crowd enemy squad stood a man in a grey ski mask holding Jack's daughter.

"No!" Jack screamed.

Jack went to run down the dock to get his daughter back.

One of the CTU agents grabbed him. Jack pushed through and kept running. Two more CTU agents lunged onto him.

Jack pushed them down and ran across the dock, he drew his weapon and fired.

Two of the masked men around his daughter fell down dead. The others opened fire.

Jack fell backwards with two gunshot wounds in his centre mass.

Reiko held a fist in the air.

"Cease fire!" Reiko yelled.

The man in the grey ski-mask drew out a large silver weapon and pushed Kim away from him.

Jack looked on in horror, paralysed by the bullets and shock.

The man shot Kim.

Jack gasped.

The man fired again. Kim stepped backwards, coming dangerously close the edge near the water.

The man fired once more and Kim fell into the harbour, her body disappeared under the soft breaking waves.

"NOOOOOO!" Jack screamed.

Jack stumbled to his feet and stumbled towards the men. They opened fire on him again.

Jack fired, killing another one, all the while focussing his aim on the man in the grey ski-mask.

Reiko grabbed Jack from behind and dragged him back toward the chopper.

Jack struggled against Reiko but he was too weak.

Reiko dragged Jack into the black chopper.

The chopper took off into the late morning air.

When the chopper was clear, Drosnin took off the grey ski mask. He dropped the silver gun. He had just shot Kimberly Bauer.

**11:59:57…58…59…12:00:00 **


	13. Chapter 13

**The following takes place between _12:00 pm and 1:00 pm_. Events occur in real time.**

Drosnin turned and faced the other masked men. His cell phone rang loudly. Drosnin pulled it out of his pocket and put it to his ear.

"Yeah?" Drosnin asked.

"It's Yelena. Is the Bauer girl dead?" Nina Myers asked. Drosnin paused before he answered.

"Yes." Drosnin said.

"You have done well. Make sure you aren't being followed and come to the co-ordinates I send to your PDA." Nina said.

The line went dead. Drosnin put the phone in his pocket and looked out onto the harbour.

--- -

Jack was on the floor of the chopper, he had passed out as soon as they dragged him in. There were two gun shot wounds to his chest but he was still breathing.

Reiko pulled a phone off the wall and dialled Tony's number.

"Tony Almeida." Tony said.

"It's Reiko, we've got Jack Bauer and the General in the chopper. Suspect is secure but Jack is unconscious. He's suffering from two gunshot wounds to the chest, he's bleeding pretty bad!" Reiko said. "You need to clear another bed in the clinic."

"No we can't do that. Bringing Jack back into CTU could endanger his life. You need to take him to a private hospital. I'm sending you the directions now." Tony said.

"Is that really necessary?" Reiko asked.

"Absolutely! You also need to keep this quiet don't tell anybody outside of that chopper and conceal the location from Rosenbaum!" Tony said.

"Okay." Reiko said.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

"What about Kim?" Tony asked.

"Kimberly Bauer is dead." Reiko said.

Tony sighed loudly.

"Thank you Reiko." Tony said.

--- -

Tony Almeida hung up the cell phone and looked at Michelle. She looked back at him.

"What's wrong?" Michelle asked.

"Kim is dead." Tony said.

"Jesus!" Michelle said. "How is Jack taking it?"

"He's unconscious I'm having him sent to a private hospital." Tony said.

"That makes sense." Michelle said. "What about Alberta?"

"She doesn't need to know." Tony said.

--- -

Nina Myers moved into the new headquarters and set down two brief cases filled with electronic computer equipment. An attractive blonde woman dressed in a white suit moved in behind her. It was Nina's personal assistant, Sienna.

A cell phone rang. Sienna answered it.

"Yes?" Sienna said.

Sienna was silent as she received the information, meanwhile three tech's came in and started setting up the new room.

Sienna hung up the phone.

"What is it?" Nina asked.

"That was Bill, he just confirmed that the General is in CTU's possession." Sienna said.

"Damn it!" Nina said. "What about William O'Brien?"

"He's not at his apartment and he isn't answering his cell phone. I think we should assume the worst has happened." Sienna said.

"Never assume anything Sienna." Nina said. She picked up her cell phone and dialled in a number.

--- -

Joseph Burns was typing at his computer when the cell phone rang. It was the one that had been given to him by the woman that had his family. It had not rung in so many hours and although that had been a relief it made him worry more about his family. He answered the phone.

"Burns." Joseph said.

"It's Yelena. I need you to confirm something for me." Nina said.

"When is this going to end? When will you let me family go?" Joseph asked quietly over the phone.

"When you're part in this is done your family will be released. Does CTU have William O'Brien in custody?" Nina asked.

Joseph minimised what he was working on and brought up a list of suspects in custody, he saw William's name.

"Yes." Joseph said.

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

"I have one more thing for you to do before I release your family. I'll call you within the hour." Nina said. The line went dead.

Joseph hung up the phone.

--- -

Tony and Michelle stood over the bed, watching as Richards performed his work on William.

Richards pulled the syringe from his neck and William grunted in agony.

"Now are you going to tell me about Nina Myers?" Richards asked.

"I don't know anything!" William said.

Richards looked at Tony and Tony simply nodded. Richards stuck the syringe in again.

Tony's cell phone rang. Tony answered it.

"Almeida." Tony said.

"It's Alberta, I need you and Michelle to come to my office immediately." Alberta said.

"Okay." Tony said and hung up the phone. Michelle was looking at Tony.

"Alberta wants to see us in her office." Tony said.

Both Michelle and Tony left the clinic.

--- -

Edgar watched Chloe typing away at her computer. He had been standing here for minutes. She finally stood up and walked towards the rec room to get more coffee. Edgar followed her.

Just before they entered, Edgar put his hand on Chloe's shoulder and felt her jump at his touch. She turned around.

"Please don't do that ever again!" Chloe said.

"Chloe, it's only me. I need you to talk to me, you can't just keep all of this bottled up inside you forever, it doesn't work that way." Edgar said.

She looked into Edgar's eyes.

"I have nothing to say to you." Chloe said and turned. She walked away from Edgar.

--- -

Tony opened the door to Alberta's office and Michelle walked in. He followed in behind her and took a seat at the desk.

Alberta looked away from her computer and smiled at Tony.

"What's this about?" Tony asked.

"The CTU 6 chopper has deviated from its flight path. Why?" Alberta asked.

"They are taking Jack Bauer to a private hospital." Tony said.

"Why isn't he being brought into CTU?" Alberta asked.

"I believe bringing him into CTU would endanger his life." Tony said.

"Where did you send him?" Alberta asked.

"I can't tell you that Alberta." Tony said.

"Yes you can Tony. I outrank you and you just went against standard procedure, you are going to tell me where Jack Bauer is or I will have you arrested right now." Alberta said.

"I'm sorry Alberta." Tony said.

Alberta pushed a button on her desk phone.

"I need you to come up here and take Mr. Almeida to a holding room." Alberta said.

"Okay." A voice on the other line said.

Alberta looked at Tony.

"This is ridiculous. Tony came here of his own free will, you can't arrest him!" Michelle said.

"Yes I can and if you know where Jack is I'll arrest you as well." Alberta said.

"She doesn't know anything. I didn't tell her because I knew that you would pull something like this." Tony said.

Two security officers came in and stood directly behind Tony Almeida. Tony stood up and went to leave the room. Michelle stood up and looked at Tony.

"Just tell her where Jack is!" Michelle said.

"No." Tony said.

Tony walked out with the security officers and Michelle looked back at Alberta.

"You know there is nothing malicious about his actions!" Michelle said.

"That may be so but by refusing to inform me of Jack's location he is standing in the way of me doing my job." Alberta said. "Now, General Rosenbaum is coming into CTU. I want you to be the one that heads up his interrogation. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Yes." Michelle said.

"Good." Alberta said "You can go."

--- -

The chopper touched down on the roof of the private hospital. Two doctors carrying a gurney ran up to the door of the chopper.

Reiko opened the door and his strike team loaded Jack Bauer onto the gurney. Dr. Green looked over Jack Bauer's wounds.

"Is he going to be okay?" Reiko asked.

"It's hard to say. It depends on whether or not the bullets hit his vitals." Dr. Green said.

The two doctors took Jack Bauer across the roof and the chopper ascended into the air again.

--- -

The security officers led Tony Almeida into the holding room. They locked it behind him.

Tony walked and sat down on the uncomfortable steel chair. He rested his head on the cold steel table and almost fell asleep immediately.

--- -

Joseph's cell phone rang. He stopped typing and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" Joseph asked.

"The time has come Joseph. If you perform the following task successfully I will release your family." Nina said.

"What do you want me to do?" Joseph asked.

"You need to free William O'Brien and the incoming suspect when he arrives." Nina said.

"Are you kidding? That's impossible!" Joseph said "The security here is tightening by the minute and there is no way that an injured schizophrenic like William can just walk out of here."

"You need to disguise both of them, I recommend using CTU Strike team uniforms, they provide the most concealment." Nina said. "Go now!"

The line went dead.

Joseph put the phone on his desk and opened his desk drawer, he shuffled some papers around and pulled out a small black pistol, he reached back into the drawer and pulled out a long suppresser. He concealed both in his jacket.

--- -

Michelle waited as the chopper touched down on the CTU roof. The doors opened and Reiko filed out of the chopper holding Rosenbaum by the arm. Reiko jogged over to Michelle.

"Who are you?" Reiko asked as they proceeded towards the entrance of the building.

"My name is Michelle Dessler, I'm leading the interrogation against Rosenbaum." Michelle said.

"That's his name?" Reiko asked. "Where do you want him?"

"Take him into Holding 2." Michelle said.

"Why not Holding 1?" Reiko asked. Holding 1 was where they were holding her husband.

"It's occupied." Michelle said.

"Okay." Reiko said. He took Rosenbaum down the stairs. Michelle followed behind them.

--- -

Joseph Burns screwed the suppresser onto the pistol and entered the clinic. He held the gun down to his side as he entered. Strapped to his back was a backpack that contained two CTU Strike Team uniforms which would disguise the two suspects as they made their way out of CTU.

Dr. Chen turned to him.

"Can I help you?" Dr. Chen asked.

"God forgive me." Joseph said. He aimed the gun at Dr. Chen and fired.

Dr. Chen fell down onto the ground. Richards looked up. Joseph aimed his gun at Richards and fired. Richards fell down with a bullet in his right lung.

Joseph walked over to William who looked up at him.

"You're the mole." William said. "Yelena told me about you but I was beginning to lose hope."

Joseph opened his backpack and threw a uniform at William.

"Get dressed and exit through the cargo entrance at the back of CTU. My job isn't done here." Joseph said and with that he turned around to exit the clinic.

"What about the other one?" William asked. "Yelena said there were two moles inside."

"I only do what she says so that she won't harm my family." Joseph said and left.

William stood up and began to get dressed.

--- -

The door to Holding Room 1 opened and Tony Almeida looked up to see Alberta Green enter.

She took a seat across from Tony and dropped the manila folder she was carrying on the cold steel table.

"I'm not going to tell you anything Alberta so just forget it." Tony said.

"Tony, I'm the director of CTU. I spent a little over a decade working towards achieving this position, I've earned this countries trust. What do I have to do to earn yours?" Alberta asked.

"I hardly know you Alberta." Tony said.

"Then I hope you consider this as a sign of good faith." Alberta said. She pulled out her cell phone and pushed a button.

"This is Alberta Green, I am authorising Tony Almeida's release." Alberta said into the phone. She hung up the phone.

"You're free to go Tony." Alberta said. She stood up and left the room.

--- -

Michelle entered Holding Room 2 and saw Rosenbaum sitting still in the chair. He was handcuffed to the steel table which weighed a little over three hundred pounds. She walked over to him.

"Okay Mr. Rosenbaum, my name is Michelle Dessler…" Michelle said.

"It doesn't matter what your name is. I won't tell you anything." Rosenbaum said.

There was a light knock on the door. Michelle sighed and walked over to it. She opened the door.

Joseph Burns walked in.

"Joseph what is it? I thought Alberta wanted you to open up some sockets." Michelle said.

Joseph was sweating badly. Michelle initially assumed it was just the stress of the day but there was something about him that made her nervous.

Joseph aimed his weapon at Michelle. Michelle pulled out her gun.

A gunshot filled the air.

Joseph fell to the ground with a dull thump.

Michelle walked over to Joseph and aimed the gun at him.

"What the hell is going on here Joseph?" Michelle said.

Joseph wheezed.

"You're the mole inside CTU?" Michelle yelled. Joseph nodded.

"She has…" Joseph murmured. "…my family."

Joseph died.

--- -

Jack Bauer woke up in a hospital bed. There were tubes sticking out of a vein in his arm. Suddenly he remembered everything that had happened. He remembered talking to Nina Myers and he remembered his daughter.

Jack Bauer ripped the tubes out of his arm and got out of bed just as Dr. Green walked in.

"Whoa, whoa, you're in no position to move around like that!" Dr. Green said.

Jack said nothing.

"You've just sustained two gunshot wounds to centre mass." Dr. Green said. Jack didn't care about his wounds, he didn't even feel them. The only thing he felt was profound sorrow for his daughter and a growing sense of hatred towards her killers.

"If you don't lay back down sir I will have no choice but to restrain you." Dr. Green said.

Jack grabbed him in a neck hold and applied pressure to his throat, blocking his airway.

"Give me your car keys." Jack said. Dr. Green reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. Jack took them and squeezed Dr. Green's throat harder. Dr. Green passed out.

Jack moved out of the bed and into the hospital ward. All he cared about now was avenging his daughter.

**12:59:57…58…59…1:00:00**


	14. Chapter 14

**Previously on '24':**

"It's Yelena. Is the Bauer girl dead?" Nina Myers asked.

"Yes." Drosnin said.

--- -

"I have one more thing for you to do before I release your family. I'll call you within the hour." Nina said. The line went dead.

Joseph hung up the phone.

--- -

Joseph opened his backpack and threw a uniform at William.

"Get dressed and exit through the cargo entrance at the back of CTU. My job isn't done here." Joseph said and with that he turned around to exit the clinic.

"What about the other one?" William asked. "Yelena said there were two moles inside."

"I only do what she says so that she won't harm my family." Joseph said and left.

William stood up and began to get dressed.

--- -

"Give me your car keys." Jack said. Dr. Green reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. Jack took them and squeezed Dr. Green's throat harder. Dr. Green passed out.

Jack moved out of the bed and into the hospital ward. All he cared about now was avenging his daughter.

--- -

**The following takes place between _1:00 pm and 2:00 pm_. Events occur in real time.**

Michelle backed up against the wall and dropped her gun. She had just realised the gravity of the recently unfolded events. She had just shot a man who was only betraying CTU because of duress. She suddenly felt the urge to throw up.

Tony ran into the room and looked down at the body. He ran over to Michelle and dropped down next to her.

"What happened?" Tony asked. Michelle sat there in shock.

"Joseph was a mole, he went to shoot me but I shot him first." Michelle said.

"Jesus!" Tony said.

"Tony, I killed him." Michelle said. Tony hugged her tighter.

"He was only doing it because Nina had his family. He told me that, those were his last words." Michelle said. "I shot an innocent man."

"Hey, it's okay Michelle." Tony said. He held his wife. Rosenbaum looked on with a grim smile on his face.

--- -

William was wearing a CTU strike team outfit and it rested uncomfortably against his skin. He was jogging towards the drop off point, a quiet bridge a few minutes away from CTU.

He turned the corner and saw it; on the middle of the bridge was a black van. He jogged over to it and the door opened. Sienna stepped out.

" 'The summer days are gone too soon.'" Sienna said. It was the first part of the identifying code phrase.

" 'You shoot the moon but miss completely.'" William returned.

"Where is Rosenbaum?" Sienna asked.

"I don't know." William said.

"What do you mean?" Sienna asked.

"Hey, the mole only told me to go to the extraction point. I'm only doing what I was told." William said.

"Get in the van." Sienna said. William climbed into the van.

--- -

Jack walked through the car park with the key chain held out in front of him. When he was certain that there was nobody else around he pushed the button. A car beeped behind him. He turned and looked at a huge black SUV. It was Green's car. Jack would have smiled if his daughter wasn't dead.

Jack climbed into the car and immediately searched it for a phone. He found a cell in the glove compartment. Jack grabbed it and dialled the number of one of his old army friends that he hadn't spoken to in years. He could only hope that it was still his number.

It rang twice before John Matrix answered.

"Hello?" John said in a thick Austrian accent.

"John, it's Jack Bauer." Jack said.

"Who?" John asked.

"Jack Bauer. We served together…" Jack said.

"Jack? Is that really you? I thought you were dead." John said.

"Yeah, a lot of people do." Jack said.

"What's the matter Jack? You sound stressed?" John asked.

"I need to talk to you in person." Jack said.

"I have some spare time tomorrow, if you would like to catch up." John said.

"No. It has to be now. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate." Jack said.

"I don't know Jack." John said.

"Please John…" Jack said.

There was a pause on the line.

"Okay, but only for ten minutes." John said.

"Thank you." Jack said. He hung up the phone and dropped it on the passenger seat.

--- -

Nina Myers sat in the chair. She ran a finger along a scar that stretched across her face. She couldn't get one name out of her head: 'Jack Bauer'.

The phone next to her rang. She sighed and picked it up.

"Yes?" Nina asked.

"It's me." A voice on the other line said. It sounded so familiar. Then she realised who it was.

"Mandy. I was beginning to think that you weren't going to call." Nina said.

"Well up until now my client has been satisfied with the work you've been doing." Mandy said.

"And he's not satisfied now?" Nina asked.

"Not at all. You said that you would have control of the nuclear arsenal two hours ago." Mandy said.

"And your client promised me Bauer." Nina said.

"Bauer was delivered hours ago but you let him get away." Mandy said.

"You had nothing to do with me gaining possession of Jack. In fact you and your client haven't done anything at all to aid me in my objective." Nina said.

"I suppose next your going to tell me that you could have acquired all those explosives and equipment without our help." Mandy said.

"You'll get control of the nuclear arsenal when Jack Bauer is in my custody. That is all." Nina said.

Nina hung up the phone.

--- -

Tony sat next to Michelle in the break room. He had one arm around her and her head was buried into his shoulder. She had stopped crying only moments ago.

From the corner of his eye, Tony could see Alberta Green enter the break room.

Tony looked down and prayed that she wouldn't summon him.

Alberta Green entered the break room.

"Tony, could I see you for a second?" Alberta asked.

"I'm busy." Tony said.

Michelle looked up.

"No, I'm fine Tony. You can go." Michelle said.

"I'm not going anywhere." Tony replied.

"It will only take a second." Alberta said.

"Go." Michelle said.

Tony stood up and walked over to Alberta.

They stepped outside the break room.

"What's up?" Tony asked.

"I need you to interrogate Rosenbaum." Alberta said.

"What? Why?" Tony asked.

"You're the only one here besides Michelle and I that are qualified." Alberta said. "I can't do it because I'm too busy and I really don't think Michelle is up to it, do you?"

"I can't do it. I've got to stay with her." Tony said.

"With all due respect, Michelle has dealt with stressful situations before. I think she can handle it." Alberta said.

"Forget it Alberta." Tony said. He went to turn around.

"Tony, I could have had you on obstruction of justice charges, which coupled with your history of treason would be enough to put you away for a long time, but instead I didn't." Alberta said.

"What does that mean? Are you threatening me Alberta?" Tony asked.

"No. I'm asking you a favour. Please help me on this?" Alberta asked.

Tony paused.

"Okay." Tony said.

--- -

Jack Bauer pulled the SUV into Matrix's house. He crunched up the gravel driveway and killed the engine.

John Matrix was a big guy. He was standing at the top of the driveway waiting for Jack.

Jack climbed out of the car and walked over to John. They hugged.

"Did you have trouble finding the place?" John asked.

"No, nothing's changed since I last came here." Jack said.

They both began walking towards a table where there were sandwiches and iced tea.

John took a seat. Jack just stood there. The two wounds were beginning to hurt badly.

"What is this about Jack?" John asked.

"After Operation: Republic Assault, a cache of weapons that we recovered went missing. It was unofficially known in our unit that you were the one that took them." Jack said.

"Is this some kind of legal investigation?" John asked.

"No. John, I need weapons." Jack said.

"What for? What are you going to do Jack?" John asked.

"I can't tell you. Believe me, you don't want to be in on this." Jack said.

"I don't think I can do that." John said.

"Please John. Just do this and I'll forget everything about Republic Assault and stolen weapons. If it wasn't important, I wouldn't ask. You know that!" Jack said.

"Okay Jack. I'm going to let you take the weapons, but if they are traced back to me…" John said.

"They won't be. That's one thing you don't have to worry about." Jack said.

--- -

Nina Myers sat up as the door opened. Sienna and William walked in.

"Yelena, I'm sorry but your father didn't make it out of CTU…" Sienna said.

"I know. Our contact confirmed that Joseph Burns was killed attempting to liberate him." Nina said. "It's sad, but we have to keep our eyes on the prize."

"What's the next step?" Sienna asked.

"We need to gain control of the nuclear arsenal. William, I want that accomplished in the next hour." Nina said.

"Okay." William said.

William took a seat at a computer and began typing away.

There was a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Nina asked.

"It's Drosnin!" Drosnin said.

Nina nodded at Sienna.

Sienna walked over to the door and opened it.

Drosnin walked into the room.

"What do you want me to do?" Drosnin asked.

"Relax Mr. Drosnin. I'll inform you when you're needed." Nina said.

---- -

Chloe sat at her desk typing at the computer.

Edgar walked over to her and paused just in front of her.

"Chloe…" Edgar said.

"What is it Edgar?" Chloe asked.

"You can't stay bottled up like this. You have to let all this out. I mean you've dealt with a lot over the past few hours and now your father has escaped. I mean I can't imagine what you're going through." Edgar said.

"Edgar, I just need to focus on something, which is pretty hard to do when your standing there talking to me." Chloe said.

"Chloe…" Edgar said.

"Oh and Edgar; I think we should see other people." Chloe said.

"What?" Edgar asked.

"I mean…" Chloe said. "It's over Edgar."

"You can't be serious!" Edgar said.

Chloe went back to typing. Edgar could only watch her.

--- -

Tony paced back and forth past Rosenbaum.

"We know that your daughter is operating somewhere in LA and we know that she is trying to gain control of America's nuclear arsenal. Now if you want to have any chance of getting out of this, you're going to have to tell us where she is." Tony said.

"I have nothing to tell you." Rosenbaum said

"Damn it!" Tony yelled, slamming his hands down on the table. "This isn't a game. Either you tell us where she is situated or I'm going to make this very painful for you!"

"My daughter was right." Rosenbaum said.

"What?" Tony asked.

"You're Mr. Almeida, no? She said that you were weak and she was right." Rosenbaum said.

Tony looked at Rosenbaum.

--- -

Jack Bauer entered the CTU lobby. He walked up to the security guard. The security guard looked up at him.

"My God, Jack Bauer? I thought…" The security guard said.

"Please, let me through." Jack said.

"I can't do that sir. I need confirmation from…" The security guard said. Jack pulled out his gun and aimed it at him.

The security guard reached for his. Jack fired, the bullet hit the guard in the leg. The people in the building gasped.

Jack grabbed a man dressed in a business suit. He took him as a hostage.

Jack walked into CTU.

--- -

Tony read through a folder. He closed it and slid it across to Rosenbaum.

"That's the final deal. It's a presidential pardon of all past crimes. All you have to do is tell us where Nina Myers is located." Tony said.

"I'm not signing anything." Rosenbaum said.

Suddenly an alarm sounded.

Tony looked around, and then at Rosenbaum.

"What the hell is going on?" Tony asked.

Tony pulled out his weapon and held it down.

The door slammed open.

Jack Bauer entered and closed the door behind him.

"Jack? What are you doing?" Tony asked.

Jack pointed his gun at Tony.

"Tony put the gun down!" Jack said.

"Jack…" Tony said.

"Damn it, Tony! Put down the gun. Don't make me do something that I don't want to do!" Jack said.

Tony put the gun down on the floor.

"Now reprogram this door so that no one can get in." Jack said.

"I can't do that!" Tony said.

"You're lying! It's a standard protocol that can be initiated in the event of a lockdown in equipment malfunction!" Jack said.

Tony walked over to the door and typed in a door code.

Jack walked over and picked up Tony's gun, he put it in his pocket.

Jack walked over to Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum looked shaken.

"Now Mr. Rosenbaum, you're going to tell me where Nina Myers is!" Jack said.

"I will do no such thing!" Rosenbaum said.

Jack put his gun on the table and pulled out a pair of large kitchen scissors. He moved them towards Rosenbaum.

Jack reached down and slammed Rosenbaum's cuffed hands onto the table. He positioned the scissors over his pinky finger. Rosenbaum struggled.

"Where is Nina Myers?" Jack yelled.

"I tell you nothing!" Rosenbaum yelled.

Jack cut his pinky finger off. Rosenbaum screamed. The finger rolled across the table. Blood spurted out of the finger.

"Oh my God, Jack!" Tony said.

Jack punched Rosenbaum in the face to stop him from flailing. Rosenbaum settled down.

Jack positioned the scissors on his thumb.

"It's a pretty simple pattern, each time you don't tell me what I want to know you lose one. And don't think for a second that I'm gonna stop at fingers…or toes!" Jack yelled.

**1:59:57…58…59…2:00:00**


	15. Chapter 15

**The following takes place between _2:00 pm _and_ 3:00 pm_. Events occur in real time.**

"Where is Nina Myers?" Jack yelled. His throat was hurting a little from yelling so loud. His hands were covered in Rosenbaum's blood and the same blood covered the table in a red slick. Jack was determined that he could get the information out of Rosenbaum. He needed to. It was amazing how clear everything became. How simple the concept of revenge is.

Before everything to do with Nina Myers was complicated and now it was simple; he wanted her dead. That was all that mattered.

"I'm not going to tell you anything!" Rosenbaum yelled. He had already lost three of his fingers. They lay on the table covered in blood like morbid oversized French fries.

"Then say goodbye to your other thumb!" Jack said. He moved the scissors quickly and cut it off.

"Damn it Jack! This is against the law!" Tony yelled. There had been several times in the past when Tony had seen the lengths that Jack Bauer had gone to, but nothing compared to this.

Tony's cell phone rang.

Jack grabbed the gun and aimed it at Tony.

"Give me the cell phone." Jack said calmly.

"Jack…" Tony said. He was cut off.

"Give me the cell phone!" Jack screamed.

Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out the cell phone. He put it in the palm of Jack's hand and quickly pulled away as if he were dealing with an agitated snake.

Jack placed the cell on the table and fired a round into it. Blue smoke sizzled out of the piece of plastic.

Jack turned his attention back to Rosenbaum.

--- -

Alberta stood outside the door of Holding 1, next to Michelle and three body guards who all had their weapons drawn. She pushed the 'hang-up' button on her phone and put it back in her pocket.

"I can't get through to Tony." Alberta said. "Is there anyway I can get through to the Holding Room via intercom?"

"No. Tony always turns it off before he interrogates a suspect." Michelle said.

"Damn it!" Alberta said.

"Maybe this is for the best." Michelle said.

"What?" Alberta asked.

"Rosenbaum is a retired General, he has received the same anti-interrogation training as Jack Bauer if not more. Maybe Jack's methods will get him to speak." Michelle said.

"What Jack is doing in there is a violation of every CTU protocol in the book not to mention a violation of human rights." Alberta said.

"I'm pretty sure that Rosenbaum waived those rights the moment he decided to kill thousands of innocent people." Michelle said.

"Either way, Jack Bauer is going to burn for this." Alberta said.

"Jack Bauer is already burning Alberta. His daughter is dead, by the same woman who killed his wife. He has nothing now." Michelle said.

Alberta suddenly realised what they were dealing with here. A one-man-army dedicated only to revenge. She turned and walked away from Michelle.

--- -

Anti-terrorist Office James Pierce got the news from one of his delegates. He immediately called CTU and got in contact with a woman named Chloe.

"I just wanted to inform whoever is in charge there that my agents have located the C4 at all the American monuments and diffused them." Pierce said.

"How can you be sure that you have all of them?" Chloe asked.

"Well we can't be I suppose, the thing is that most of them were dummy bombs. Not designed to go off." Pierce said. "Are you even the person I'm supposed to be talking to? I'm after the Director."

"Oh…okay, let me transfer you." Chloe said. She pushed a button on her phone.

--- -

Drosnin sat on a lounge, in the corner of the main computer room, his head in his hands. He hadn't slept for a long time and he just wanted to go home. The only thing that was stopping him was the fact that Nina Myers would probably kill him if he tried to leave.

Nina walked over to him.

"Michael Drosnin, the time has come to put you back in play." Nina said.

"What?" Drosnin asked.

"I just received a phone call from my last remaining contact inside CTU. My father is in the process of being interrogated illegally by Jack Bauer. I'm confident that Bauer will extract our location from him." Nina said. she didn't show the slightest sign of worry; especially considering the fact that her father was being tortured.

"What do you want me to do?" Drosnin asked.

"You're going to return to CTU and tell them that you escaped from my compound and then you are going to tell them that Rosenbaum was given a false location. Then you will lead Jack Bauer to this location." Nina said. She handed him a piece of paper.

"They won't believe me." Drosnin said.

"You'll make them. Tell them that you were kidnapped out of your home this morning and that you were tortured by the man that kidnapped Kim Bauer." Nina said.

Drosnin looked at Nina. He was getting mighty tired of following her orders.

"No. I'm not following your orders anymore. You can keep your money." Drosnin said.

Nina smiled. She pulled out a phone and dialled in a number. The phone rang.

"Yes…Put her on the phone." Nina said. She switched the cell to loud speaker.

"Mike? Is that you? They've got me…" It was the voice of Drosnin's wife.

Nina hung up the phone.

"No!" Drosnin yelled.

"I'm afraid so. I promise you; after this I will let you and your wife go and that will be the end of it." Nina said.

"You bitch!" Drosnin said.

"Do we have an understanding Mr. Drosnin?" Nina asked.

Drosnin stood up and left the compound.

---- -

Mandy pushed the buzzer and waited. She chewed peppermint gum as she did this, she was a little peeved that she couldn't blow bubbles with such a small piece.

There was no answer. Mandy pushed the button again.

An intercom crackled.

"Can I help you?" A woman's voice came through.

"It's me. Let me in." Mandy said.

There was a pause and then the sound of the door magnetically unlocking could be head.

Mandy entered the compound.

--- -

Nina Myers stood and waited for her guest to arrive.

Mandy walked through the door and entered the computer room.

Sienna turned in her chair towards Mandy.

Mandy drew a silenced weapon and fired once at Sienna.

Sienna collapsed on the ground.

"I wish I could say it was a pleasure to see you Mandy." Nina said, with her arms folded, a cold smile on her face.

"My client was most unsatisfied with out last phone conversation. I've been sent to work co-operatively with you." Mandy said.

" 'Co-operatively', does that include killing my secretary?" Nina asked.

"It means that you are going to dedicate all your resources to gaining control of America's nuclear arsenal and I'm going to dedicate mine to finding Jack Bauer." Mandy said.

"Is that so?" Nina asked.

"Yes. I'm going to need a computer terminal with T1 internet access." Mandy said.

Nina nodded.

--- -

Drosnin entered CTU. He walked through the lobby and towards the metal detector. He nodded to the guard and continued through. It didn't alarm.

He proceeded to the next security check point and swiped his key-card. The door unlocked and he entered.

He entered CTU and saw Alberta. Her eyes lit up when she saw him and she walked quickly over to him.

"Michael? What are you doing here, we thought you were dead!" Alberta said.

"So did I. I was kidnapped this morning by Nina Myers but I escaped." Drosnin said.

"Oh my God!" Alberta said. "Come with me."

Alberta led Drosnin into the Situation room. She closed the door behind him.

"Sit down and tell me everything that happened." Alberta said. Drosnin sat down and began talking.

--- -

Nina Myers walked up behind William O'Brien. She placed a hand on his shoulder.

"How are we going William?" Nina asked.

"This thing is going to be tougher then I thought." William said.

"Why is that?" Nina asked.

"Because CTU knows about the nuclear arsenal and the President has issued an order to upgrade the software protecting it." William said.

"Can you break it?" Nina asked.

"Yes, but its going to take a while." William said.

"That's okay." Nina said.

--- -

Alberta's phone rang interrupting Drosnin from telling his story.

"Damn it!" Alberta said. She picked up the phone and answered it.

"Yes?" Alberta paused listening to the speaker. Then she turned to Drosnin.

"I'm sorry. This will only take a minute, I'll have Edgar bring you some coffee." Alberta said. She stood up and went to leave the situation room.

The door closed and Drosnin's phone began to vibrate. He panicked and looked down at the phone. He couldn't believe that she was calling him; here of all places. He picked up the phone.

--- -

Jack pushed Rosenbaum back and looked down at his bloody right hand. On it remained only one finger.

Rosenbaum's eyes were glassy. Jack could tell that he was about to break.

"Okay, I'll tell you!" Rosenbaum said. "Just don't hurt me anymore."

Jack pulled out a pen and note-pad from his pocket.

"My daughter's compound is at…" Rosenbaum said. He began to give Jack the co-ordinates to Nina's compound.

--- -

Alberta re-joined Drosnin in the situation room.

"I'm sorry, we have a hostage situation on base right now involving Jack Bauer and things are hectic. I needed to organise a tac-team to bring him down once he's done in there." Alberta said.

"My God." Drosnin said.

"I'm not sure if you know or not, but his daughter was killed earlier day." Alberta said.

Drosnin paused. He remembered holding the gun at Kim and pulling the trigger.

"Our resources are stretched thin, so I don't think that I will be able to de-brief you right now." Alberta said.

"That's okay. I just want to help out in any way." Drosnin said.

"You have! Believe me." Alberta said.

They both heard the gasping of people in the main floor.

--- -

Jack Bauer had Tony in a hostage hold, he slowly made his way through the main floor of CTU.

Michelle looked over at him and was shocked when she saw Tony being held. She had known that Tony was being held under duress by Jack, but actually seeing it was a different thing entirely.

"Everybody just stay out of my way and this will end nicely!" Jack yelled.

"Jack, let Tony go." Michelle said.

"Stand back Michelle, I will shoot him if I have to." Jack said.

"No you won't. You can't shoot him. He saved your life!" Michelle said.

"You don't think I'm serious?" Jack said. He aimed his weapon down at Tony's foot and fired.

Tony moaned in agony.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Michelle said, hot fresh tears formed at her eyes.

Alberta walked out in to the room.

"Alberta stand back! I'm taking Tony Almeida with me and if you attempt to follow me I will kill him." Jack said.

"Damn-it Jack, what do you think you are going to do?" Alberta asked.

Drosnin stepped out of the Situation room and looked at Jack.

"I know what you want to do Jack, but it's not going to be possible if you follow the directions that Rosenbaum gave you." Drosnin said.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.

"Nina gave him false directions because she knew if he was captured he would be compromised." Drosnin said.

"Who the hell are you?" Jack asked.

"I'm the leader of the CTU tac-team that was supposed to protect your daughter but I was kidnapped by Nina. I escaped about an hour ago. I know where she is Jack." Drosnin said.

"You're lying!" Jack said.

"He's telling the truth Jack, I was just listening to his story." Alberta said.

"I've got no reason to lie. Please Jack, let me help you." Drosnin said.

Jack waited. He wasn't completely sure but he couldn't risk that Rosenbaum had given him false information. Besides if he traded hostages he would still have valuable leverage over CTU.

"You're coming with me. Come over here now!" Jack said.

Drosnin walked over to Jack. When he was close enough, Jack pushed Tony away and grabbed him.

Jack made his way out of CTU.

**2:59:57…58…59…3:00:00**


	16. Chapter 16

**The following takes place between _3:00 pm_ and _4:00 pm_. Events occur in real time.**

Jack led Drosnin out of CTU and into the car-park. He had a firm grip on Drosnin's shirt and a gun pointed into his back.

They came to the SUV and Jack slammed Drosnin hard against the car. Jack pointed his gun at Drosnin.

Jack reached into his jacket and got out the keys. He put them into the car door and unlocked the car.

"Get into the car, you're driving." Jack said.

Drosnin got into the driver's side of the car and Jack got into the passenger seat.

Drosnin started the car and reversed out of the spot. It headed out of CTU.

--- -

Alberta looked at Tony who was in the bull-pen and leaning on a desk. Michelle was standing next to him, holding him.

A group of CTU guards came from holding. They looked at Alberta.

"I want Rosenbaum transported to medical." Alberta said. She looked at Tony. "I want you there as well."

"I'll be fine." Tony said.

"You've just been shot. I want you cleared by medical before I let you back to work. That's not a request." Alberta said.

Michelle approached Alberta.

"What are you going to do about Jack Bauer?" Michelle asked.

"As long as he has Drosnin hostage there isn't much we can do. He's our only viable connection to Nina's base. I'll have a TAC team follow them." Alberta said.

Michelle walked over to Tony and helped him off the desk, they made the long journey up towards medical.

--- -

Drosnin was driving the car towards the destination that Nina Myers had written on the piece of paper. He knew what was going to be waiting there; a team intent on bringing Jack Bauer in.

Jack Bauer held a gun on Drosnin. Jack should have been tired but he was fuelled by a white hot anger that could only be calmed by the death of Nina Myers.

"Where are we going?" Jack demanded.

"It's an abandoned plot of land in the warehouse district. I'm not going to hold anything from you Jack, as far as I'm concerned what you're doing is the right thing. I'm only sad that I won't be there to bring Nina down myself." Drosnin said.

Jack only looked at him.

"Just keep driving." Jack said.

--- -

Mandy was sitting down at table, a laptop folded out in front of her. Nina entered the room and walked over towards her. She took a seat across from Mandy.

"Yes, Nina?" Mandy asked.

"I just wanted to let you know that in a few minutes I'll have both control of America's nuclear arsenal and Jack Bauer, which makes your role here pretty redundant Mandy." Nina said.

"The person I'm working for is a very powerful man Ms. Myers. I wouldn't suggest double crossing him." Mandy said.

"I don't plan to. When I receive control of the arsenal I'll hand it over to you to as a sign of good faith." Nina said.

"Really?" Mandy asked.

"Yes. All I care about today is Jack Bauer, the rest is just noise to me Mandy." Nina said.

"Well in that case, I'm happy to just hang loose until you get me what I need." Mandy said.

"Good." Nina said. Nina stood up and left the room.

--- -

Drosnin turned right at the intersection and headed towards the warehouse district.

"I'm serious Jack. I'm behind you on this one hundred percent. I'm even willing to back you up on the ground." Drosnin said.

"That won't be necessary." Jack said. He only needed to get into the compound to do one thing, he didn't care about getting out.

"I heard about what happened to your daughter Kim, you deserve justice and CTU or any government agency, for that matter, won't be able to provide that." Drosnin said.

Just hearing her name made his eyes water and sting. He remembered her face, it was burned on his memory. He swallowed hard.

"I don't want to talk about it." Jack said.

--- -

Mandy's cell phone rang. She walked into the hallway before she answered it.

"Hello?" Mandy asked.

"It's me." The asian man on the other line said.

"You shouldn't be calling me here, it's too risky." Mandy said.

"I need to make sure the plan is going ahead. I have strong interest in this. China has strong interest in this." The man said.

"I know that Mr. Zhi and I assure you that everything is going to plan, but calling me on this line must be considered a last resort." Mandy said.

"I'm beginning to doubt your abilities Mandy, if that even is your real name." Cheng Zhi said.

"I promise you that by the end of the day you will have control of the nuclear arsenal and Jack Bauer." Mandy said. "You have to remember that you're asking me to betray a very dangerous woman."

"I do." Cheng Zhi said. The phone line went dead.

Mandy put the phone back in her pocket.

--- -

Drosnin was getting closer towards the drop off point.

"I mean it Jack, I will fight with you to bring Nina Myers down." Drosnin said.

"I appreciate it, I really do but this is something that I have to do." Jack said.

"You might not get out of there alive, Jack." Drosnin said.

"Getting out isn't part of the plan. Kim was all I had left in the world, when Nina took her away from me she took all of me. All that matters now is making sure that the woman that killed my wife and daughter is dead." Jack said.

"I'm so sorry Jack." Drosnin.

"Yeah. So am I." Jack said.

--- -

Michelle sat with Tony who was lying on the bed in medical. The replacement doctor had just bandaged his foot.

Across the room lay Chase Edmunds who was still in a coma.

Rosenbaum was wheeled in a stretcher and taken to the far end of the clinic. He was under the mantra of heavy pain-killers but he was still conscious.

Michelle was looking at the ground, she looked up and saw that Tony was looking at her.

"You should go back down there and help Alberta out." Tony said.

"No, she'll be fine. I need to stay here with you." Michelle said.

"Michelle, that's not necessary." Tony said.

"Shut-up Tony." Michelle said. She smiled at him. Tony smiled back and reached over towards her.

He whispered into her ear.

"I'm sorry about everything that has happened today. I love you Michelle." Tony said.

She hugged him back.

There was a gasp from across the room. Tony and Michelle looked up to see Chase Edmunds awake.

"Chase? Are you okay?" Tony called.

A doctor ran over towards him.

"Drosnin, it was Drosnin!" Chase yelled.

"What?" Tony asked.

"Michael Drosnin shot me, he has Kim!" Chase said.

"Isn't Drosnin the man that's with Jack?" Michelle asked. Tony nodded.

Rosenbaum looked over.

"It gets better then that my friends. Drosnin was the one that shot Kimberley Bauer." Rosenbaum said.

Tony was shocked.

"You're lying!" Tony said.

"I have no reason to lie." Rosenbaum said. Michelle stood up.

"We have to warn Jack." Michelle said. Michelle went to leave the clinic.

"Where are you going?" Tony asked.

"To tell Alberta." Michelle said.

"No. Don't do that." Tony said.

"What are you talking about?" Michelle asked.

Tony pulled out his cell phone and began dialling a number.

"This is between Jack and Nina." Tony said.

"What? You're not serious!" Michelle said. "That's a violation of every…"

"CTU is good at what it does but in this case the one thing it can't do is achieve what's right Michelle." Tony said.

"What?" Michelle asked.

"True justice. Nina Myers needs to die!" Tony said.

--- -

Jack sat in the car staring at the road in front of him. The way the road rushed towards him and under the car was almost hypnotic. His cell phone suddenly rang.

Jack answered.

"Bauer." Jack said.

"It's Tony. Jack, Drosnin isn't who he appears to be." Tony said.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.

"He's working with Nina. He shot Nina and kidnapped Kim." Tony said.

"I…" Jack said.

"There's more Jack; he's the one that killed Kim." Tony said.

Jack looked at Drosnin.

Drosnin looked at Jack.

Jack began to seethe. He dropped the phone.

Jack grabbed the wheel and yanked it hard.

The car spun off the road and headed down a steep cliff on its side.

The car tumbled down the cliff.

--- -

Tony sat with the phone at his ear.

"Jack…Jack are you there?" He asked.

There was only silence on the other line.

--- -

Jack climbed out of the car and stood up. He rolled his neck and it cracked twice.

Jack looked at the over-turned SUV, a faint mechanical wheeze could be heard coming from within it.

Jack turned and looked at Drosnin who was crawling along the ground.

The gun was on the ground almost buried in the long grass. Jack picked it up and walked over towards Drosnin.

Drosnin squirmed as Jack turned him over. Jack fell to his knees over Drosnin.

"Did you kill my daughter?" Jack asked. Drosnin only looked up at the angry lion above him with open eyes.

"Listen to me you son-of-a-bitch, if you don't confess everything to me I'm going to shoot you in the stomach. You'll bleed to death so slowly that you'll wish I'd shot you in the head." Jack said. "Tell me the truth and I'll leave you here for the ambulance!"

"I…" Drosnin said.

"Tell me the truth! Did you kill my daughter?" Jack screamed. He positioned the gun on Drosnin's stomach.

"I did Jack. I did kill her….but I had to. It was Nina…" Drosnin said, he was drifting in and out of consciousness. "Please, I told you the truth. Just let me go."

Jack looked at the man that killed his daughter. He held the gun closer to the man's stomach and pulled the trigger.

Drosnin screamed in pain. Jack stood up and looked down at him.

"You're going to bleed to death you sorry son-of-a-bitch. The ambulance isn't going to make it in time." Jack said. "You'll suffer until the last moment!"

Jack turned and left the scene.

Drosnin lie in a forming pool of his own blood.

**3:59:57…58…59…4:00:00**


End file.
